The Virginia countryside rolls by as I move further away from home and toward the second one that serves as the locus of my family. There are a lot of children on board and I'm delighted to hear sounds of people playing "I Spy" with so many things to choose from.
The train's north of the Town of Orange now, maybe already in Culpeper County and every so often the train horn blares. I chose this over driving and I'm so glad to have this moment and to be part of this country. There are all sorts of people on this crowded train, and I feel part of this moment as we all head off to spend time with our families.
The Blue Ridge mountains are to the west but there are still sizable hills to the east. Of these hills, I see one that I stood on top at some point in the past during a dark time in my life when I wasn't working as a journalist.
I'm going to keep working this week because it's a joy to be able to write stories for a living and in order to keep that up, I am reluctant to stop. I always live in fear I'll forget how to put one word in front of the other.
Approaching the town of Culpeper, the rolling hills give way to a few subdivisions and some industrial sites. I think of the time I stopped in Culpeper with my English son in May 2023, the last time I spoke with him at length. I wish he was on this train with me, as I wish I could be experiencing this with my American children.
I have hope for the future because I remember there are dark times and there are light times and sometimes they are happening at the same time. The train begins to slow down and the conductor prepares those getting off. We pass what appears to be a military cemetery and there are wreathes on all of the graves. There was an event earlier this month for such things.
The bridge across the railroad tracks is coming together nicely. One day people will be able to park here and the commute into DC. I think about how it would be interesting to live slightly closer to that place, but then remember if I was going to be anywhere else right now, it would be closer to today's destination.
Yet, I know I won't be leaving Charlottesville anytime soon. It is my home despite many memories of when the dark was so blinding I couldn't see the light. I feel more balance now than I did before and I'm grateful for all of those who assist me along the way.
No comments:
Post a Comment