MEANWHILE, …
When hearing people talk of killing time or being bored, I am always amazed. Time is the one precious commodity that it is impossible to get more of and boredom is something that I last experienced when Gerald Ford was president (of course, I was in high school at the time).
Life is so full of excitement, frustration, depression, laughter, adventure, friends, family, holidays, loss, road trips, discoveries, illness, and the endless possibility for more of these, that boredom seems like such an impossibility. Likewise with a need to kill time, a commodity that I never have enough of.
If I was to see this outlook as a fault, and wanted to blame someone for it, it would have to be my dad. When he was born my grandfather was in his sixties and my grandmother in her forties.
Resultant of this, I grew up in an odd world where the events of the 1960s swirled all around us but we were locked in the 1930s and 1940s, a world where kids began driving as soon as they could see through the spokes of the steering wheel and reach the pedals, and the work day began at 5:00 sharp. The day was divided between chores and school, if you had spare time there were always more chores or something to learn, like how to repair a garage wall after mistaking the throttle knob for the choke.
With the exception of a few years in my youth where an effort was made to shake off what I perceived to be shackles, I have always found a project to plan for, to complete, or to think about. I offer this long winded preamble as an explantion for an inquiry about how I find enough time in my day to write books and have a full time job.
While we are on the subject of books, here is the latest Ghost Towns of Route 66 report from Amazon.com –
#5 in Books > Travel > United States > Regions > Midwest
#20 in Books > Travel > United States > Regions > West
#24 in Books > Travel > United States > Regions > South
I am always glad to see a book is being well received. What I can’t see, and hope for, is that the book will add depth as well as context to the Route 66 experience. Of even more importance, I hope it inspires folks to make their own voyage of discovery along this storied old road.
The report on Ghost Towns of the Southwest leaves me with similar hopes. It also leads me to believe that the subject of ghost towns and Route 66 are rather popular.
#26 in Books > Travel > United States > States > Arizona
#60 in Books > Travel > Reference & Tips > Tourist Destinations & Museums
I wrote the Route 66 encyclopedia with a two fold purpose in mind. One, I wanted to create a resource that would chronicle a very large portion of that highways history, present that highway in a broader context through the concise history of each town along the highway, and portray the road as a tangible link that connects the future, the present, the past, and even the distant past.
Two, I am hoping it will spark curiosity about the highway and places along the route. Additionally, I am hoping that spark of curiosity will translate into exploration for Route 66 in its modern incarnation has transformative powers that are difficult to describe. As crazy as this may seem, I am quite convinced, especially after the last trip in October, that keys for the restoration of the nation are to be found in the people, the mom and pop enterprises, and the sense of community found along Route 66.
And that leads me to the next book projects. The one being bandied about with Voyageur Press, the publisher for the past five books, is a travel guide with a twist.
I could never hope to compete with, or even create a better guide than, the EZ 66 Guide by Jerry McClanhan. However, I could craft a companion title that would add some zest to what is arguably the most exciting opportunity for adventure in America.
What I envision is a guide that will enable the traveler to immerse themselves in the rich and colorful history along the way, as well as provide them with the keys for unlocking wonderful treasures found with the shortest of detours north or south of the highway. Examples of the latter would be Hualapai Mountain Park and lodge, 15 miles south of Kingman, or the Cave Restaurant, about the same distance north of the highway in Misosuri.
But the book I would really like to write would be a bit different than any of the other eight published titles. I would like to write a travel guide laced with my trademark dry wit to add some comedic overtones to a search for America that can only be found on Route 66.
I want to find, and introduce readers to, the America I remember. This is not the America that made the Negro Motorist Green Book a necessity for a large segment of the population but the America that negated its need.
My search would be for the America where individuality trumped generic corporate offerings. It would be for the great mom and pop enterprise that ensured each community had its own distinct personality.
In either case, it is my hope to take the time capsule feel of Route 66 to a new level next fall. Hence my quest for a vehicle manufactured by Nash, Hudson, or Studebaker between 1948 to 1953, and businesses interested in having their business tied to Route 66 through some advertising sponsorship.
Bored, not a concept I understand. Wasting time – sorry but I don’t have time.