5 July
western Nebraska
I had a funny feeling all along that I
wasn’t headed home on this trip.
Despite what the bills say and the
fact that all was quiet in Dispatch
Land, I knew I wasn’t going to make
it to New England yet.
Sure enough, last night while I was
prepping for bed, my load
information changed; now I’m to
drop the trailer at the Norfolk
Southern railyard in Chicago
Wednesday, and they will transport it
to a place outside Harrisburg, Pa.
Someone else will pick it up there and
take it to Connecticut and
Massachusetts.
Seems like a big waste to me, from my tiny earthbound perspective. But the Big Dispatcher in the Sky can see the whole
country at once, She knows every driver intimately and wants to meet his or her needs, wants all to feel like they’re doing Her
work, so this rail transfer plan surely serves Her purpose. Maybe there are too many drivers for the freight they have this
midweek in Pennsylvania, and not enough in Chicago. No matter where I get sent from the Big Windy, She will take care of me
too, and it’ll be a freakin’ blast if I let it be.
And this is good for me writing-wise too. I was feeling compelled to dive headlong into my personal history during the would-be
homecoming trip, but now I can put aside these poetic notions and work more at my previously intended pace. I’d like to go
much slower with Part Two. I need to concentrate more time and energy on wrapping up P and K. This is the month of my
self-imposed deadline, and I want to train myself to be observant of such things. This will also help me get closer to caught up
with the typed/emailed version of the Chronicles. So if you start to notice larger gaps than usual, geographically and temporally,
that’s why. I’m not being lazy –I have a deadline to meet. Makes me feel more…professional.
© 2004 by Hermit Crab
a Fish Out Of Water production
Next -- Chapter 4
