The desert – open, vacant and beautiful in its desolation. Only the mile markers speak of your progress toward civilization. You could close your eyes and just drive and open them to see the same expanse of sand and heat rising off the blacktop for endless miles.
But the endless miles let you think. Let you ponder. Let you run and rerun that which you seek to escape. All the bad. All the misery. All the vestiges of a life gone wrong. Let’s you contemplate how life will be different in the new place. Because new is good – it’s a fresh start and clean slate. Because you have learned from your mistakes and by so doing deserve a second chance.
Mile marker 943 – sand and cactus still rule and stretch further still. You can see for miles in the flat unchanging terrain and music and air conditioning are your best friends. Truckers with whom you share the road, angels in disguise and a presumed safety net if you get into trouble.
It takes a certain amount of trust to point yourself toward lands unconquered and life unknown. Or stupidity. Only time and experience can tell. And the mile markers lead the way – one mile at a time.
copyright 2010
How many miles does Christines marker mark?
How many miles before Clancy gets her cup of joe?
Anita Rodgers Mystery Writer 
Yes, it does. I’m going with trust rather than stupidity. 🙂
A long ago song lyric: I’d sure hate to break down here, nothing up ahead or in the rear view mirror. Your post reminded me…
Hey Clancy,
Sounds like a plan – yeah…trust definitely better than stupidity. Not familiar with that song but it sure could have been my anthem a while back. 😉
Annie
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I like the feeling of adventure you convey in this piece. I think those long stretches of sameness are necessary for emotional preparation for change.
The close was especially good. And I enjoyed the scenery and thoughts along the way. Only I saw a horror movie once, in which a group of three were being pursued by a deranged trucker so I’ve got mixed feelings on that. 😉
Good work, Chica.
Hey Chica,
I like your point about the long stretches of sameness – I think you’re right. Not sure if I’m thinking of the same movie you mentioned but there is a Speilberg film called Duel that pits a traveling salesman against a big rig – spooky. And yes, those thoughts entered my head during my multiple lonely trips across country. Also too, I wondered “does the sun ever come up in southern Texas?’ 😉
Annie
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