A BLAST FROM THE PAST

 

            My road adventure began on a Friday morning in February. The sky was as blue as it could be and the temperature was unseasonably warm. An absolutely perfect day to hit the road. My husband could not accompany me on my road trip, so I invited my close friend, Julie Crabb. I hopped in my little Toyota Corolla and left my home in south Fort Worth and picked Julie up at her home in Arlington.

 

            Another reason I asked Julie along on the road trip is that we are in very similar seasons in our lives. She and I graduated from Tarrant County College in May 2013, but ironically we never knew each other at that time. We don’t recall being in any of the same classes either.  Neither of us are the traditional college age students. With that being said, we both were so proud of ourselves when we both graduated with high honors. Another commonality we share is that we are both unemployed at the moment and neither of us are really sure where the Lord is ordering our next steps. It seems clear however, that we are being sifted and refined to fit into a new and improved model. I have faith there is a reason for this particular season that we are enduring and we will break forth in a profoundly new and exciting way.

 

            Julie and I talked numerous times about where we would like to travel to. We did not have to return back to our homes until Sunday afternoon, so we had many options to choose from as far as destination was concerned. We tinkered around with the idea of heading south to Fredericksburg, Texas. This is a part of Texas I have always wanted to visit, but not yet had the opportunity to do so. In the end, we decided we did not want to spend most of our time in the car, so we ruled out that destination. For the same reason, we ruled out the beach in South Texas, and San Antonio as well.  So, I picked Julie up and started the car to head down the road.  I looked at Julie, and she looked at me and we both cracked up with laughter. We were truly at a total loss for where we were heading. When we finally composed ourselves, we finally came to the conclusion it did not matter where we went.  Suddenly it was clearly evident to the both of us, that it was all about the journey itself, and what the Lord would show us along the way.

 

            The next thing I know, we were heading south on I-35 out of Fort Worth. Our first stop was in the small community called West, Texas.  This is the serene little town nestled right off I-35 an hour or so south of Fort Worth.  It is where the tragic fertilizer explosion occurred two years ago and killed far too many people. I still did not have any revelation about where we were headed. So as soon as I exited off the interstate in West, I zipped into a small Exxon gas station to fill the gas tank in my small car. I removed the gas cap and grabbed the gas pump to begin to fill the gas tank. A tall woman scurried out of the Exxon station and said she would pump the gas for me.  I smiled, thanked her, and told her it was o.k., I’ve got this.  Laughing, she replied this entire Exxon station was “full-service.”  At first, I giggled and inquired if she was serious.  She grabbed the pump, and pointed to a sign posted above my head that indeed said “full service.”  Wow! I had not seen a full service gas station since the early 1980’s.  What a neat stop I stumbled upon, and naturally, I had to snap a photograph of the sign. The attendant was so helpful, and told us there was a wonderful little Czech restaurant just up the street that had delicious lunches. The gas was cheaper than it was in Fort Worth. So there was a double blessing, our first encounter with something from the past and gas cheaper than it was in Fort Worth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            We proceeded into West to eat one of the daily specials at the oldest Czech restaurant in all of Texas. It was delicious and reminded me of many of the meals I enjoyed while I was stationed in Germany while serving in the U.S. Army. As we paid our bill, I inquired about where the explosion was located in West. As soon as the sentence left my lips, I somehow, almost felt as if I was intruding on their private space. The restaurant hostess graciously told us the location, but silently I wished I could have retracted that question. Two years may have passed since the plant explosion, but clearly the emotions of the residents are still very raw.

 

            With full tummies, we drove around to see what else was special about West. We located the Katy Train Deport and a Military Wall of Honor. Behind this old, but renovated train depot was a train caboose. I thought to myself, well here we go again. Can’t remember the last time I saw a train depot or a caboose. Just like the full service gas station, it probably was the late 1970’s or early 1980’s. There was another “something cool” from our past. Yes, of course, I got a picture of that too.

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        Time to get back in the car and try to figure out where to go next.  I love hiking and being outdoors, so we thought about proceeding to Glen Rose. It had been a long time since either of us had been to Fossil Ridge Park. However, we wanted to take back roads. I had a Texas map, but it did not show the road we were on. So, we passed under I-35 and within a half a mile came upon a veterinarian’s office and stopped for directions. He was such a nice man and took the time to hand draw us a map on how to take the scenic route to Glen Rose. Handwritten landmarks were provided with verbal cues to look for as well. It was a long drive to Glen Rose and we were both unusually quiet. Suddenly along the side of the road we spotted a road runner. That broke the quietness and before we knew it we were seeing some gentle hills and spotted not one, but four more road runners. Unfortunately, they were camera shy and were out of sight before Julie could get the camera in her hands. Little stinkers are fast! We came upon the dam at Lake Whitney and enjoyed the beautiful views for a brief time. It was a nice place to stretch our legs before getting back on the road. Listening to the crunching from munching on jalapeno kettle chips and hot crunchy Cheetos provided the music along the route. We made it to Glen Rose by mid-afternoon and had a sense of uneasiness. Not sure why we were uneasy, but instinctively we knew this was not to be our destination for the remainder of the day. We were searching for something, but we were clueless as to what exactly we were searching for. The journey on the road continued.

 

            Within an hour the car seemed to find Granbury and that is where we stayed for two nights.  We checked into a Best Western hotel about dinner time. The clerk surprised us with a free upgrade of a suite. The room was great and had extra chairs and sofa. We headed off to enjoy a wonderful steak dinner and back to the hotel. Exploring Granbury would have to wait one more day.

 

            The next morning we grabbed a map of Granbury from the hotel lobby. First we visited a US Veteran’s Museum that was fabulous. Having served in the military, I thoroughly enjoyed this little jewel situated off the beaten path in this town. The museum was filled with various articles of military equipment, gear, and clothing from World War I, II, Korean War, and Vietnam War. There were some items from the present day military, but not as much from years past. A World War II veteran was on hand and answered our questions.  Honestly, I think he and I could have chatted all day and never got bored. Yes, this museum was yet another not to my past.

 

            Next it was off to find the Brazos Drive-In Theater. I was able to drive inside where you park to watch the movie, as there was no gate or lock to stop me. On the side of the concession building was the number to dial your automobile radio in order to listen to the movie. One of the movies was Sponge Bob, so we opted out of watching a movie that evening. Stumbling upon an authentic and fully operational drive-in theater was not even a flicker in my brain cells when I began the journey. Yet, here before me was another great find from days in the past.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

          From there the downtown area seemed to be calling us. Lunch was delicious and then spent the afternoon visiting the various shops. Before the sun slipped away for the day we headed towards the hotel and made a stop at Lake Granbury. The walk on the pier was refreshing and thankful for another unseasonably warm day.

 

            Back at the hotel we reflected on the past two days. We came to the conclusion that you can’t change what has happened in the past. The past experiences and people who have been in our lives is what shaped and molded us into who we are today. Some people have had easier lives than others, but invariably it was a path or route we were destined to take. However, God gives us choices, and it is up to each person to pursue their future routes they will travel. It is part of living, part of being alive at this particular point in time. As for me, I choose to trust and listen for the still small voice of the Lord to guide my steps. Look at the beautiful story and theme that the Lord provided right before our eyes.

 

             We arrived home safe and sound Sunday afternoon. The weekend seemed to fly by way too quickly, but nevertheless we were immensely thankful for the journey. Julie and I truly had an incredible “blast from the past.”