Railway for the Win

Have you ever had one of those great yet not so great weeks? You wonder his life can be so up … then down … and twisting your inner guts all along the way. It’s like riding the Kingda-Ka …one of the wildest roller coasters (so I’m told, I have my limits.)

I mean, things turning out wonderful (saw my daughter in law, son, and two grandkids), drove to top of Pilot Mountain, went to the zoo at Roanoke Star (Mills Mountain) and so much more.

But, Calvin was worn out and we lost a day to his sleepy time. My daughter in law’s rental car had a flat with no spare (I played Uber and got to wait on the tow truck.) Took GKid to a park … too too hot to play on anything. A man cursed me out when my door dinged his car (I had to look twice to see the iota size mark … no dent, didn’t even scratch through the paint or anything.) Hey, you park in a tightly squeezed space at Chickfila during lunch rush, expect something.

Then Calvin and I had to return to where his wife was (he really did need to be with her) so an almost 3 hours on the road, arriving at midnight. Not allowed access to her room (she was conked out) and I had to take a 5.15am taxi to Amtrak. Taxi cost as much as the train ticket. I would’ve flown, but a $600 one way ticket for a thirty minute plane ride seemed crazy.

So here I sit. Waiting on a train. An empty station. They had to unlock the lobby door to let me in.

It’s a beautiful station. Historic. Calming even in this predawn timeframe.

It’s a great reminder, you don’t always have to escape to an apex in the middle of a National Park … or find solitude on a boat floating in the middle of a serene lake … or escape to a deep woods spot with no cell reception. There are places with beauty, potential quiet, and time alone right around us. It’s a state of mind.

Find a spot. Get alone sometimes. And breath. In. Out. Iiinnnn. Ouuuttt. (That’s how I take deep breaths)!)

Oh, I’d rather be looking out from Hawksbill or Spy Rock or Guadalupe peak. I prefer a trek on the Appalachian Trail or even surrender grounds in Appomattox. But I’ll take right here. Right now. And breath.

And with every breath, I thank God for these moments too.

Today. Find your spot. And breath.

Today it’s waiting for the Amtrak, Crescent …