Embracing the Possible

The Road has many lessons for the attentive traveler. This week, I am being taught the importance of embracing the possible. Unfortunately, this is not a new lesson for me. It is one that I need to keep learning since I am a lifelong dreamer who is much more interested in “Could be” than “What is.” But age offers the challenge of embracing the possible.

When I was young, I lived by potentialities. The future was a blank page, waiting to be filled from an outline I carried in my head. I was excited by ideas and experiences that represented a new story. The future was wide open, and I claimed a license to do what I wanted with it! And then came age and experience. I learned to embrace something more than my aspirations. Slowly, I learned to embrace a possibility that is guided by, but not wholly bound to, my aspirations. After seven decades, most of my story is written. These lessons on celebrating the possible are even more important today. Bad decisions are more difficult to fix. Our life on the Road is the perfect laboratory for learning how to well-embrace the possible. As I enter the final turn, I ask, "Can a dreamer enthusiastically embrace the possible?”

We began the week on Saturday with a planned get-together and a couple of chores we had been putting off. First, we had to go to Shepherdsville, KY, to drop off the contents of our overflowing recycling bag. Then, we drove to Mount Washington, KY, to meet Jenn and Jonathon for lunch. They are friends from our Sugar Land days. It was great seeing and catching up with them. Afterward, we needed to make a grocery run to Walmart in Brooks, KY. Yep, three events in three different cities. With a little planning, we could have folded the chores into other trips through the week and avoided all the extra driving around. While planning and over-planning have major downsides, a little forethought allows room and resources to make our dreams possible. Unfortunately, they seldom become possible by desire alone. There is room for planning ahead and chasing our aspirations.

 

Jenn and Jonathon told us about the Bernheim Arboretum south of Shepherdsville. We planned to walk the trails of the nearby Jefferson Memorial Forest on Sunday. Still, the possibility of seeing Forest Giants at Bernheim won the day. This arboretum is also an experimental forest, and there are three woodland sculptures by Danish artist Thomas Dambo. We have his sculptures on the West Coast. Here are a few shots from the trails at Bernheim. We embraced a new possibility by listening to friends and allowing new information to change our minds. We had a great afternoon among the Forest Giants. 

 

Lil Nis, pondering his reflection in the lake.

American Holly

Passion Flower

Mama Loumari resting in the shade.

Mama's Dragon Skull and Unicorn Horn

Orange Touch Me Not

Little Elina playing with her rocks.

Hot Lips Salvia

 

 We woke up on Monday, and it felt like a lazy day. I had my usual Monday Morning Zoom with some retired friends and a few chores on Koko and Nakai that involved a run to Harbor Freight. So, we kicked back and decided not to try and cram a hike into the day, as well. Why? Just because! Every day has possibilities, but not every possibility deserves maximum effort. Life on the Road is made much more enjoyable by having dreams but these demand priorities. You have heard a few of our priorities, like safety first or taking care of ourselves. The Road teaches me not to be distracted just because something is possible. On this day, it was important to place rest over busyness, especially when a drive is ahead tomorrow.

 

On Tuesday, we left KY and drove across Southern Indiana to our stop at  Lynnville Park. This was not a highly-rated park. I tried to find somewhere else to stop between Louisville and Indianapolis, our next stop. However, the Midwest has few quality RV Parks. The possibilities were limited. But I have learned to not confuse limited possibilities with poor possibilities. Lynnville Park was a pleasant surprise. The trails around the lakes were beautiful. They were built on land donated to the City of Lynnville by a surface mining company that extracted coal from scattered pits over the property. Also, though Lynnville had few restaurants, we enjoyed most of our meals in Koko. This park was more camping than traveling, and it was a nice break after a series of "RV Subdivisions." Limited options can include a jewel for those open to finding them.

 

 

 

Memorial Building & Museum

On  Wednesday, we drove to Santa Claus, IN, to walk the Lincoln Boyhood Home National Memorial grounds. The Lincoln Family moved from Tennessee to Indiana when Lincoln was 9 years old. He spent his growing-up years helping to carve a 100-acre farm out of this dense forest. His mother died from "Milk Sickness" within two years, and his father remarried a woman he knew from back in Kentucky. The story of the family’s sojourn in Indiana is the ultimate American Pioneer Saga and speaks to the goals of a young nation facing its greatest challenge. As we walked the trails, following the footsteps of a teenaged Abraham Lincoln, I watched his story unfold as it should. This is an important lesson for anyone who lives “on along the way.” We may not know the destination, but we can allow the immediate possibilities to suggest new ways to fulfill our hopes and dreams. If we are lucky, we could enjoy a Calzone at Fat Santa’s in Santa Claus, IN.

 

Tableau from Building

Towards the Hilltop graveyard.

Lincoln's Mother's Headstone

Entrance to the farm

A typical Field in Lincoln's day.

Momument to 3rd Cabin on the farm, the largest one.

 

Lincoln's Mom and Dad

A very poor sculpture of the humble Lincoln.

Display containing stones from the 3rd cabin's Hearth

The Stones Path of Lincoln's Life

Did not waste iron on nails.

The Family Garden

 

As I mentioned earlier, the Lynnville Park has some beautiful trails. We spent a quiet afternoon exploring these trails and got our forest therapy for the week. Here are a few shots. As I walked the trails, I was reminded that it is essential to pay attention to the close-at-hand possibilities. Not every worthy goal sits on the far horizon. Sometimes, they are among the leaf litter that surrounds us. Possibilities abound for those attentive to them. I need to keep learning to pay attention to what is close at hand, even if it is on the site of a reclaimed coal mine!

 

Robin

Honeysuckle

Bullfrog

Old Coal Dig

A Gorse Orb Spider

Hiding in his leafy den

This week, I have asked myself, "Can a dreamer embrace a possibility with enthusiasm?" Yes, we can. Dreamers can embrace the possible with enthusiasm as long as they stay focused of their goals. Count the costs. Weigh the benefits and follow their dreams. As we make this final jog north to Indianapolis, IN, and Springfield, IL, I am confident that adventures await. What are they? I genuinely have no idea. But in the 19 weeks before we cross back into Texas, I know there is Ancient Native History to learn, trails to walk, pictures to take, and quiet moments for contemplation or naps. All of these are likely, but the Road ahead will also have its share of surprises. That mix of hopes, possibilities, and the unknown feeds my enthusiasm.

 

I look forward to sharing this last stretch with you!

 

Travel well, my friends!

Bob