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Day 2, Abandoned ATM

Our second day on the road was like a dream. First, we were in Warrenton, Virginia, a charming town self-consciously holding onto the past, to the point of not having traffic lights downtown. Then we climbed west on the Lee Highway to Shenandoah National Park, hoping to take Skyline Drive south, but the higher we climbed, the thicker the fog became, forcing us to turn around and drive down out of the clouds. At Sperryville, now in a steady drizzle, we stopped for burgers at The Pit-Stop, a take-out joint not much bigger than a food truck except customers could order inside out of the rain.

It was busy inside. Six others were waiting for their orders. Having ordered, I saw an automatic teller machine and, short on cash, decided to use it. Call me Mister Oblivious. The machine had no lights, no welcome screen. It was not plugged in. That did not deter me. In went my bank card. Nothing happened. It still took me ten, twenty seconds to figure out there was something wrong. “That ATM has not worked in years!” said the woman who took my order. “The company just left it after removing the money.” Apparently, I was the first in years to try it.

How does grace work? I see it work whenever my sense of humor remains intact even when the situation deserves anger and frustration.

With my fingers, I tried pulling on the quarter-inch of my card still showing, but it would not budge. By now, I was the center of attention for the other six waiting. I suggested out loud that I could just take the whole machine with me. That got a laugh. We had all seen security videos on the evening news of enterprising petty criminals wrenching machines out of walls. Soon the conversation widened, to the topic of machines and easy money. “I’ve got a friend whose son puts slot machines around the country. He can make thousands of dollars in a week from one machine! The State of Virginia only taxes him $25 a year for the machine and hopes he declares his income.”

I asked the woman at the counter if she had a pair of pliers. She did not. “Does anyone here have a pair of pliers?” One man, who could have been a contractor, had a tool box on his pickup truck. Soon I had a pair of Channellock pliers in my hands. They came with a disclaimer. “You can use these, but I take no responsibility with what you do to your card or the machine.” That comment in itself says a lot about our litigious nation.

Enjoying the attention of the six others, I gently pulled. My bank card did not budge. I pulled harder. Out it came! With everyone now in a happy mood, I got to know four students from Missouri who were traveling together, visiting one national park after another, on their way to D.C. and then to Niagara Falls. I did not get to know the man with the Channellocks — he soon left — but I was surprised how quickly the remaining man and I got to know each other.

Dressed in dark gray top and bottom, like a laborer, he said he’d lived in that part of Virginia all his life. He complained that the place was becoming a rich man’s vacation spot, that people with money were coming in from D.C. and buying up land in what was now “horse country”. Land was getting expensive and zoning meant only lots five acres and more could be sold and could not be subdivided. Little guys didn’t have much of a chance. I told him I liked the look of the country. I told him my wife had a horse. Surprisingly, that did not put him off, no more than his comments had put me off. Perhaps seeing me dumbfounded by the dead ATM made me human.

We talked more. We were enjoying conversation and each other’s company, dry, away from the wet outside, looking forward to food even if it was slow in arriving. I told him we going to visit Monticello and Appomattox Court House. That made him say something odd. He made a big deal out of telling me that General Lee never shook General Grant’s hand at Appomattox. This was not a controversy I knew about. Afterwards, a computer search produced nothing. Lee not taking Grant’s outstretched hand does not appear to be a right-wing talking point. But this man was making the point, a point dear to him. We talked more. He confided that he did not think our nation had been more divided since the Civil War. He thought it a shame, wished it were different. It worried him. I agreed with him. We both hoped relations would improve. Then his name was called. We shook hands and he left.

Photo is of the burger take-out restaurant in front the rain-covered windshield of our car.

Click here to see all the Moseying 2023 posts.

Smart Phone Cameras

We cannot see without using our smart phones. Their cameras let us record and then share our experiences. But even as our audiences grow, the attention we get and the attention we give becomes progressively more superficial. Flit, flit, flit — only the stickiest of posts gets more than a glance. This, too, is how I pray — short, quick, fleeting prayers to the one person who has the time — or creates the time — to tenderly comprehend every precious hair on my rapidly balding head.

Photo of people looking up at Janet Echelman’s 1.8 Renwick, a fiber and colored light installation in the Grand Salon of the Renwick Gallery, Washington, DC. Many of them are looking at it with their smart phones.
Photo and text copyright 2023 by Danny N. Schweers.
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The Eyes See

The eyes see but the mind does not. It was not until much later, looking closer at this photo, that I saw that all these flags are not blowing in the same direction. While a strong east wind blows most of them to the right, a strong west wind blows one to the left. Remarkable! My eyes saw this. That is why I took the photo, even though my slow mind did not yet comprehend why. I often take photos not knowing why. I have learned to trust my rabbit eyes even when my turtle mind does not yet comprehend what my eyes are seeing. If you understand this — how the eyes can see while the mind does not yet comprehend — then you will understand me when I say that I wish I trusted my heart as much as I do my eyes.

Photo of flags at the Washington Monument in Washington, DC just before it snowed.
Photo and text copyright 2023 by Danny N. Schweers.
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Targeting Civilians

Armed soldiers should not target unarmed civilians. That seems clear enough to me sitting thousands of miles from conflict, but those at war soon lose such clarity. For those at war, entire populations become the enemy. During World War II, the world condemned the Luftwaffe for bombing London and other cities in England, but then, later in that war, British Bomber Command undertook the systematic bombing of German cities. The United States did the same in Japan. When civilians support their country’s war efforts, it seems they become legitimate targets for their country’s enemies. Such is the blunt logic of war. My question is, do we have to be logical?

Photo of young people playing in fire-hydrant spray at the July 4 Games, Arden, Delaware.
Photo copyright 2013; text, 2023; by Danny N. Schweers.
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Comments

RJ wrote:
I sometimes wonder what I would have done, during my time as a USMC artillery officer, if I was ordered to target civilians. 

Anne wrote:
Wonderful photo and necessary reminder of the true, hidden costs of any conflict. Why can’t we get along with each other? Agree that sanctions hurt the “least of these” the most.

Tom wrote:
Creative use of a peaceful photo, Danny. Thanks for the message! Following up on Danny’s note to commenters on his recent photo about war and peace: It’s true that wars are with hindsight both stupid and tragic, and that we should do everything we can to prevent them from starting. Most combat veterans agree. But once they have started what then? I think it’s arguable that both peacemakers (war preventers) and warriors have important roles to play in securing peace. When I came back from making war in Vietnam I wanted to become a peacemaker, and found Quakers to be excellent guides in that vocation. Recently, stimulated by the war in Ukraine, I researched whether Quakers have ever decided that the Spirit called them to set aside their commitment not to bear arms in any circumstance. I found that some members of the Wilmington Friends meeting did in fact fight for the Union because they were convinced that the only way to prevent the spread of slavery was to defeat the Confederacy militarily. After the war those warrior dissenters were excluded from the meeting for a number of years, but then later were readmitted. As Christians we pray to God: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” How does one in good conscience work toward that goal? Certainly by doing everything one can to prevent wars from starting. But once they have started? Well, some, like those dissenting Quakers, may decide that the only way out is through.

Julie wrote:
War is illogical to begin with, so application of any logic at all seems worth a shot. Logic might point at less aggressive strategies.

John wrote:
Photo is great. Comments are very inciteful.

Ernestine wrote:
Someone, or leaders need to think how logical it would be to not harm, kill or destroy human life because of the selfishness of these war campaigns. Logic would be to love our neighbor as we love ourselves; however, I guess that would be the logic of true Christians. But, I would imagine all are not Christian. What do we do about that. Peace, Love and Blessings 🙏🙏🙏

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The Best Words

Photo of the author's wife's dog waiting.

My wife’s dog waits at the front gate, her gaze fixed on the empty driveway, intently watching for the joyous moment when her mistress will return. Unlike her dog, my wife’s husband exhibits no such display of longing and devotion. He is not kneeling in prayer, again and again exhorting God to keep her safe and to bring her home swiftly. Confident in her return in her own good time, he goes about his business and pleasure. Their last words to each other were “I love you.” If something does happen to rip them asunder — as someday it must — these are the best words. They bridge all separations and divisions.

Photo the author’s wife’s dog waiting.
Photo and text copyright 2023 by Danny N. Schweers.
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Comments

Tom wrote:
A right-on message, especially as we get up in years. On August 3rd, Alice was late getting home from an appointment. When I thought to check on her whereabouts I discovered that she had texted me two hours earlier that she had been hit by a car (while walking downtown). Of course, I was shocked, but my first thought was on the bright side: Well she’s alive! She’s walking again after 7 surgeries and a lot of grit. Definitely something to celebrate. And it’s made us both more attentive to our mortality.

Ernestine wrote:
I understand the practice of saying “I love you” when my husband and I depart from each other to do our menial responsibilities during the course of the day; but my joy comes when my great-granddog greets me when entering my home. She is so excited to see me. It’s just another kind of love displayed and much appreciated.

Elizabeth wrote:
As we grow older — I’m too quickly approaching the end of my eighth decade — we come to understand more fully how fragile our lives are and the lives of those we love. You captured that feeling so well in your text and in the photo of the dog’s expression. WOW!

Nicole wrote:
Aww, I adore your pup. She’s so cute! Lovely message, too.

Holly wrote:
What a beautiful pup!

Sybil wrote:
Well said. We do the same…

Saundra wrote:
This is so lovely…

Alice wrote:
Love the photo and the sentiment. Perfect for Valentine’s day.

John wrote:
What beautiful words (and picture). Thank you, Danny. A comment on what marriage is.

Bernadette wrote:
Beautiful! AND funny!

Craig wrote:
Really nice Danny. I think this dog is the breed that was used for a scene in Shakespeare in Love. He was laying on stage next to an actor who was propounding something from Romeo and Juliet I believe. The dog’s expression was hilarious, esp when played against the soaring poetry….. Now this is the difference between dogs and cats. You’d never see “the Author’s Wife’s cat fervently waiting the joyous moment when her mistress returns….” You wouldn’t see that from a ferret either…

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Fill Up On Bread

“Fill up on bread! If I heard that once, I heard it a thousand times.” That is what my father said when he remembered living in New York City, one of eleven children growing up in Hell’s Kitchen and the Lower East Side during the Great Depression. If I heard my father say that once, I heard him say it a thousand times. But his is not the city I know. Mine is a city of Jamaican taxi cab drivers full of humor and wisdom. Mine is a city of helpful high-class women living in the Upper East Side with twinkles in their eyes. My city is gleaming and bright. It is forgiven. In my camera, it is redeemed.

Photo Prayer 2023-02
Photo of New York City from the back seat of a yellow taxi cab. Photo and text copyright 2023 by Danny N. Schweers.

More photographs of the author’s January 2023 visit to New York City.

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Comments

Tom wrote:
Powerful, Danny!

George wrote:
Thank you for your perspective on NYC! I understand (I think) what you are saying and also what your dad said. It is a complex city. One of the first adult books I read was a Tree Grows in Brooklyn. It was an eye opener for me and gave me a view on NYC even though I had not been there. NYCers are usually smart survivors who also possess the capacity to understand and have empathy for others. To be able to retain your own sense of self whilst being immersed in the mass of humanity requires real strength of character I think. You have brightened my day in a time of chaos and pandemic and widespread irrational violence.

Bernadette wrote:
WOW— I LOVE this!! Pic + prose!

Elaine wrote:
Love this. God bless your Dad, Danny. What a difference a generation makes!

Craig wrote:
Wow, if it were only so easy! I’ve been seeing photos of Hells Kitchen lately (what do they cook … deviled eggs?) … and it definitely doesn’t look like heaven. Beauty in the eye of the beholder … or lens?

Pamela wrote:
Great photo! I’m wanting to visit Hell’s Kitchen. 🤞we’ll get there this year.

Alice wrote:
Great photo, especially out of the back of a taxi cab.

David wrote:
Your photo framed by the taxi window is a great way to capture how small and timid we are in the midst of the city’s intimidating scale. Thank you.

John wrote:
Amazing photo Danny!! I had assumed it to be a collage of some sort. Can’t believe you “got it”. And my own glances out the window from cabs run the gamut from “sparking joy” to sparking whatever the opposite of joy is. (I’ve noticed that the weather is very important to which it is — much more so than in most cities.)

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Day 5, Google Map Troubles

This day was the first of several when we abandoned our plan to leisurely drive across the USA on back roads. Instead, we took I-40 from Hillsborough, North Carolina to Asheville in a day. Using Google Maps got us in trouble. This began when, after looking for restaurants in Winston-Salem, my wife decided she wanted […]

Day 3, Camera Store

Charlottesville, Virginia, home of the University of Virginia, impressed me, especially that the city made its downtown a pedestrian plaza and succeeded in making it a lively place on Saturdays, with live music by local performers and open-air seating for restaurants. This storefront of a camera shop caught my eye, all these old film cameras. […]

Day 3, Monticello

Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello, has his love of innovations on display, scientific and otherwise. It is hard to imagine a contemporary candidate for president of the United States who would have such an active curiosity and who would still be electable. I was sorry to learn that Jefferson’s financial affairs were in shambles when he […]

Day 2, Warthog

Warrentown, Virginia — founded in 1810 — has the largest tack shop in the United States. My wife had to visit! While she delighted her eyes with saddles, bridles, riding clothes, and more, I was free to explore the small but vibrant downtown with its strong historic zoning laws. I talked briefly with a fellow […]

Day 2, Abandoned ATM

Our second day on the road was like a dream. First, we were in Warrenton, Virginia, a charming town self-consciously holding onto the past, to the point of not having traffic lights downtown. Then we climbed west on the Lee Highway to Shenandoah National Park, hoping to take Skyline Drive south, but the higher we […]

Day 1, The Car Is Packed

In 2023, my wife and I set out across the USA and back, mostly on the roads less taken, 23 states in 39 days, just over 8,000 miles. We had friends to visit in North Carolina, Texas, Southern California, Nevada, and Iowa, but no set dates to be anywhere. Here is how the back of […]

Smart Phone Cameras

We cannot see without using our smart phones. Their cameras let us record and then share our experiences. But even as our audiences grow, the attention we get and the attention we give becomes progressively more superficial. Flit, flit, flit — only the stickiest of posts gets more than a glance. This, too, is how […]

The Eyes See

The eyes see but the mind does not. It was not until much later, looking closer at this photo, that I saw that all these flags are not blowing in the same direction. While a strong east wind blows most of them to the right, a strong west wind blows one to the left. Remarkable! […]

Targeting Civilians

Armed soldiers should not target unarmed civilians. That seems clear enough to me sitting thousands of miles from conflict, but those at war soon lose such clarity. For those at war, entire populations become the enemy. During World War II, the world condemned the Luftwaffe for bombing London and other cities in England, but then, […]

The Best Words

My wife’s dog waits at the front gate, her gaze fixed on the empty driveway, intently watching for the joyous moment when her mistress will return. Unlike her dog, my wife’s husband exhibits no such display of longing and devotion. He is not kneeling in prayer, again and again exhorting God to keep her safe […]

Copyright © 2023 · Danny N. Schweers