See this fella? This was taken back when we Steve was but a youngish youngster, right around High School graduation time.
And now, do you see this fella? This is what that youngish youngster looks like forty years later.
I think he’s aged quite gracefully, don’t you?
And since I’m showing you (seemingly) random pictures, here’s another one.
Raise your hand if you know what kind of book Steve is pointing at.
If you guessed a Rand McNally road atlas, you’re right! (For anyone under the age of twenty, it is very possible you have never even seen an atlas.)
This is the honkin’ huge book we older folks used to pull out whenever we wanted to map out a trip. No Mapquest, no Google maps, just a book the size of Manhattan that we had to wrestle to the ground every time we wanted to go somewhere.
But you know what? I sort of miss those old school days of the Rand McNally Enormous Atlas Era.
And quite happily, last week Steve and I had the opportunity to haul out our vintage 2002 edition and take a little gander at it. Because some trips just can’t be planned with a fancy map app; some trips just call for the old school style.
See that green line?
See that smile?
The smile and the green line are connected. (Figuratively, not literally.)
That green line stretches from the Outer Banks of North Carolina all the way to Clovis, NM. Steve graduated from High School there and this July, they are having their 40th anniversary.
When he first heard about the occasion, he immediately decided he couldn’t attend. Too far away, too much money, too much time involved in getting there.
But then he started connecting with some old classmates on the school’s Facebook page, and he started talking about the reunion with increasingly noticeable shades of wistfulness in his voice. And finally I said to him, “Steve, you need to go.”
You see, Steve was raised in the military and his family moved every four years. Although he loved his life and the various countries and states he got to live in, it was hard to put down roots. As things turned out, his dad actually happened to be stationed in Clovis two different times so Steve has more memories there than in most places; in addition, the fact that he graduated from High School there makes the town all the more special to him.
And so at long last, and with plenty of persuasion from me, he finally decided he would fly to Clovis for the reunion. That decision made me glad because I knew how important it was for him to reconnect with his roots and his history.
But then he started casting sideways glances in my direction with accompanying verbal hints over the course of several days. Did I possibly want to go along with him?
Well, when he started doing that, two different sides of my self started vying for attention.
The introverted side of myself said, “Go to a High School reunion that will be peopled entirely by people I have never met?”
I don’t think so.
Next, the frugal, penny-pinching side of myself spoke up and said, “Double the traveling expenses all the way to New Mexico? We can barely afford for Steve to go.”
I don’t think so.
And then (finally), the loving-wife side of myself spoke up and said, “Do you see how much it would mean to Steve to have you be with him as he visits a town, people, teachers and classmates who helped shape him?”
And so I took a deep breath, threw my introverted and frugal reservations out the window and said, “Sure. I’ll go.”
Nothing like a little adventure!
We were originally planning to drive all the way there but when we pulled out ye old Rand McNally and realized that it was 3,400 miles round trip, we started looking at Plan B, which is to fly part way (possibly in and out of San Antonio) and rent a car and drive the rest of the way.
I had just been thinking in the last couple of months that my scenery-loving, photographer’s soul had been longing for something different to look at through my car windows. And now? I get to see the Southwest in all its glorious beauty, as my husband of thirty-three years and I travel forty years back in time to revisit who he was.
We haven’t taken a “just us” trip together lor a long time so we’re really getting excited. I’ve been looking on travel sites for $19 dollar flights (yeah, right) and we’ve been trying to decide what all we want to do while we’re gone. Should be a great time!
And now you understand the title of this post. We’re going back to Steve’s “old school” using an “old school” map to accomplish the task.
Let’s hear it for old school and new adventures!
I remember those old atlas books! We used them to travel across the country a couple different times while in the military. Neither of us has been to a high school reunion, though. My husband was an Army brat and went to three different high schools. He has no high school friends that he keeps in touch with. I did attend the 25th anniversary of my high school basketball team winning the state tournament. That was fun! I hope you have a great time!! 🙂
Gayle,
How fun to have been on a basketball team that won the state tournament. I know that must have been a really fun reunion!
We go to the Nascar races in Michigan every year. We live in Southern Ontario so it really isn’t that far except that my girlfriend and I never seem to take the same way twice!! We always miss some turn and being from Canada, unless you have one of those very expensive phones (like my kids do but I don’t) we don’t get service in the US unless you want to pay quite a bit of extra money. She has a road atlas in her vehicle that we use ALL the time. 🙂 We have figured out that the width of my thumb is 7 miles. I still refer to an atlas when I am looking for directions rather than google maps. I guess I will always be “old school”.
Can’t wait for the pictures that you take on your trip. They are always so beautiful.
Mel,
Yep. Old school is a good way to go, especially traveling from one country to another where you don’t have to pay any roaming charges to look at an atlas. 🙂
I related to that story on two levels: FIrst of all, I still use the Rand MCNally atlas when I travel from NC to KC and NC to NJ, etc., my husband cleaned my car the other day and took my atlas out and I said why did you do that and he said oh nobody uses an Atlas anymore and I said, I do, I don’t have GPS in my car or on my phone and I like to see where I am going on paper…..Secondly, my 40th reunion was last year, I ended up not going due to some family sicknesses, but we had a class of 1974 website set up and pictures galore were put on, EVERYONE had the best time….they said it was like the last 40 years had just melted away….one of our classmates was very ill at the time but made the effort to attend the reunion, he just passed away last week and everyone was so happy they got to see him one last time. I am so glad he is going……and you too!!!
Dale,
I agree it–it IS fun (and very informative) to actually get to see the whole “lay of the land” on paper. It really helps get the big picture. And since I’m not very good with maps, the big picture is very helpful!
I didn’t anticipate the 40 years later photo…. thanks for a good chuckle!
Mrs. Pam,
Yeah, he has come a long way, hasn’t he? 🙂
My 88 year old dad still likes to pull out his atlas and look at it, especially if I’m telling him about somewhere. I still like to use maps although I do use my iPad a lot also. My cousin and I are flying into Seattle in July and driving into British Columbia and then down to Portland. Neither of us have ever been to that area of the country and this is a big birthday for me – I graduated two years before Steve if that tells you anything. In fact, his a couple weeks ago I was showing these youngsters our sneior class pictures and amazingly many of the guys had hairstyles similar to Steve’s. Enjoy your trip. I’m sure you’ll find many things to take pictures of!
Phyllis,
I’ve heard that area is drop dead gorgeous; I know you will have a fabulous time! And happy Big Birthday to you!
So glad you and Steve are going to the reunion. Either way it is enjoyable. Blessings on both. Pray you get to see some interesting places while there. Jim is having a reunion in Helen, GA, with some people he worked with in the 70’s and early 80’s. He is excited about that event.
Ann,
I’m glad Jim is looking forward to his reunion; sounds like fun to get to see people he worked with all those years ago.
Sounds like a fabulous trip. If you do fly into San Antonio and can squeeze in a few extra days, there are so many special things to see and do in that beautiful city.
Judy,
Yes, we’ve heard a lot about what San Antonio has to offer; that’s one reason we are thinking of flying in and out of there so that we can sight see a little. There aren’t many big cities near Clovis, NM so that one sort of stood out to us.
I think that you are going to have the most wonderful time and I am beyond excited for you that you get to go…..
Becky,
Thanks for being excited about our excitement! 🙂
How fun for you and Steve. I love trips but rarely go on any 🙂
Wendy,
Maybe you can do at least a short-ish day trip or even a half-day trip. Sometimes it’s just therapeutic to get out of town!
Becky & Pastor Steve, I am soooooo happy for you. (For years, I have wanted to take a road trip retracing our honeymoon trip to Asheville in 1968. We just haven’t made it happen yet… and we aren’t getting any younger!) I just have to share a story with you about the “green line” on your atlas. The first time we took a road trip to Disney World with our son Dave (who was just a youngster at the time), we also marked an atlas with a yellow marker. As we set out on our trip, trying to entertain young Dave, Lucy showed him the Atlas. (It was Dave’s first time working with a map, and he was trying to comprehend it all.) Dave asked, “What is that yellow line on the map?” Lucy explained that the yellow line was to show us which highways we were going to travel, in order to get to Disney World. As Dave was digesting all this, he looked out the window and noticed the stripe painted along the right side of the highway. Then his little face lit up, as if a light bulb had come on in his head. He yelled out, “Mom, I can see it!” Puzzled, Lucy asked, “You can see what?” Dave beamed with pride, as he answered with excitement, “Mom, I can see that yellow line on the road!” 😉
Fred,
Steve and I went to Asheville on our honeymoon, too! We toured the Biltmore.
I LOVE Dave’s comment about the yellow line. I’m sure you and Lucy must have laughed and laughed.
I’m so glad Steve decided to go and you are able to go with him. Have a feeling your camera is really going to get a workout. The last reunion I was able to go to was about 10 years ago (we were out of town for the next one). It’s disheartening to hear about classmates that have passed away since you last met, and to chuckle in seeing others who have grown so much older (not me, of course). It was also at the last one I saw and got to talk to Bobby Vee, who had married one of my classmates. Coming from the Fargo, ND area we had a good chat regarding his uncle who lived about 8 blocks from me. I believe, if possible, each one should go to their reunions – you never know if you will ever see classmates again.
Sharyn,
How fun to get to talk to Bobby Vee. When you’re in High School, you never know how your classmates will turn out or what they will grow up to. So much fun to catch up!
Hooray for the old and the new! 🙂
So glad you are going together even though my introverted self can relate your introverted self. But hey, hubs is happy therefore you’re happy to be making him happy–a win-win! Plus it’s a romantic trip for two with photography opportunities galore–another win! I am just so disgustingly positve today! I should just go now!
Love, deb
Deb,
I LIKE your disgusting positivism! 🙂
Becky, my kids all go away to college far away, so visiting can get pricey. What we do for move in day each school year is rent a nice big comfy car or van one way and enjoy the trip there. In our case the vehicle is packed with things from home that would be expensive to send or have to buy on site. Also, we are saving on air fare for the two of us. We have use of the car the entire time we are at our destination. I then return the car at the airport when ready to leave and fly back home, exhausted from the trip, so sleeping on the plan and my time there is not dullened by the prospect of making that horribly long trip back home by car, having the few hours plane ride instead.
You won’t be leaving Steve there (at least I think not, heh,heh),, but you can do the same thing with a great 1700 mile road trip one way to NM in a one way rental in a nice big comfy car, use of the car while there, and then leaving the car at the airport and flying back home, which means getting back as soon as possible after all the festivities are over.
Cath,
Actually, that is one of the (several) options we’ve been considering–just haven’t made a totally final decision. Sounds like it’s worked very well for your family and your college kids coming and going!
Yeah, I have those same two sides and totally understand how you feel. However, I am really glad that you decided to go Becky. You will have a fabulous time and Steve will love showing you off to his friends. 😉 Those ‘just us’ trips are so necessary and can be an awful lot of fun! I am looking forward to all of the photos you will take. Enjoy the trip!
LeeAnne,
Yes, I’m glad I decided to go, too. I’m looking forward to all the memories we will make–and of course, all the pictures I will take!
Very exciting Becky, it will be a wonderful time. And so many photo opportunities, woohoo!!
Lesley,
Woohoo is right!
How neat! My husband and I were in an antique store this weekend and I seen a Rand McNally Map while going thru the aisles (yeah, that tells you these things are really old since they were in an antique store). I screeched in delight, while my husband gave me a side-ways glance, thinking why in this world would a Map make me so excited. I then had to explain that my family took a driving trip out west (we are from NC too) in 1978 and was gone for 8 weeks. I remember buying this HUGE Rand McNally Map with my mom and it seems like she paid a lot of money for it. I can tell you by the time we arrived home after that long adventure, that poor map was practically in shreds!! However, it didn’t help us out in TX whenever we got on some beltway and just kept making loops around and around. Finally at 3 am, we pulled over, got a motel and decided to consult with the locals the next day and figure out how to get on our way. That OLD Rand McNally Map brought back fond memories, ones you just can’t get from looking up directions on Google Maps!!
Donna,
How fun to hear your Rand McNally story. And yes, it’s very true that sometimes you just have to put that map away and check directions with someone who lives there. It must have been cool to have spotted an atlas at the antique store! (Although that makes me feel a little old.) 😉
You and Steve will enjoy this adventure so much you won’t mind the cost! Can’t wait to see all the pictures you take!
Cindy,
I haven’t been west of the Mississippi in a long, long time; really excited!
Wonderful, exciting, and you will love the southwest! Looking forward to reading about your adventure.
Beth,
Nothing can be quite as pretty as Wisconsin, though! 🙂
I love to live in the “back in the day” moments that happen in life. Glad you are both making the trip. You just can’t pass up making new memories and reliving the old. Someday we won’t have the opportunity and there is nothing worse than an opportunity lost. Becky, you will have a great time and I can’t wait to see the photos from your “old school” adventure.
Mary,
You’re right–a trip that combines old and new memories (and photography) sounds like a good deal to me!
Some of my favorite moves are road trip movies. (Blame it on Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.) I fully expect that you and Steve have enough adventures on your trip to warrant the big movie companies begging you to let them turn your trip into a blockbuster movie! Getting arrested by mistake is always fun; meeting extraterrestrials is goofy; losing your luggage and having to go to the reunion wearing a ball gown and basketball sneakers would work. You get the idea…I’ve given you some starter hints.
I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time and I’m already anticipating the fabulous photos you’ll share!
Jan,
You are too funny. My favorite “travel option’ of yours was wearing a ball gown and sneakers. Wouldn’t that make a lovely photo?