The length of the road which some of us took when we left Wilmington to embark on the journey of our lives was, in hind sight, impossible to imagine. After all, it was only three thousand miles to reach the west coast which was one of the destinations we sought and it was only a few days drive to reach The Sunshine State which seemed attractive to those of us who were weary of walking to school on slush-filled sidewalks. Viewing what, at the time, seemed a long but limited road was in fact misleading. The road twisted and turned, doubled back upon itself and, like a billiard ball which rolled across one of those extra long tables at Gradys billiard hall at 8th and Orange, a few of us careened from one side of the country to the other, now and then taking a north/south route or the more traditional road which headed west to explore places as far away and distinct from one another as Texas is from North Dakota. It would be logical to ask What were we seeking when we left Wilmington to undertake that journey? The answers are as numerous as the people who said goodbye to their families and friends and set out for distant lands. Although there were a few pat answers, the truth was obscure, if not hidden, from most of the travelers themselves. Looking for a new start in a place where I can begin my working life with a clean slate, was one response. Adventure, was another answer which was expressed by those of us who joined the military with the idea that being in the service, especially the Navy, would take us to places which otherwise we might never see. There were also those of us who didnt want to repeat the pattern which had given a direction to our parents or our neighbors lives. Many of us hoped to escape from what seemed a megalithic corporate structure which appeared to tower over us; leaving Wilmington provided us with the possibility to express our individual creativity and caused more than a few of us to depart for faraway lands. The introduction of television, which gave us a clear picture of some of those distant places, especially the west - as it was portrayed in cowboy movies - was undoubtedly a factor, as well. This was especially true for those of us who were given a glimpse of the California coast with its sandy beaches, towering cliffs, along with the added glamour of those movie stars which we had come to know from sitting in one or another of Wilmingtons downtown theaters. California: thats where all of those movies were made; wasnt it?
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 07:12:39 +0000
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