If You Get to The "Boxcar Willie" Overpass,
You've Gone Too Far

By Jeanne Moseley

The many communities of my hometown area remind me of Hattie Maxwell's double chocolate, pecan fudge cake. There's not a piece of it I don't enjoy.

If you listen with your eyes, a drive through our county quickly tells its own story. Around one curve and then another are a scattering of small houses and barns. And if you had a liking, you'd just pull off the road and reach across the fence to make friends with local livestock.

If it's a welcome you want, just nod your head at a passing vehicle. A friendly wave, especially to a stranger, is as natural to us as standing for the national anthem.

And while the facade of the corner store might be changed by modernization, chances are the folks inside haven't been. My guess is they're still telling tales about how rich they'd be if they'd only bought the land where McDonald's now stands.

My favorite ritual in our county, though, is giving directions to visitors and guests. None of us really know the name of streets or roads, we just know that there are usually two ways to get anywhere.

First, there's the way I'd go, and second, is the route whoever is standing next to me would take. They're seldom the same, but there's a very good chance both methods would involve an array of landmarks that include gas stations, beauty shops, grocery stores and, most definitely, churches. (We'll never send you past Wal-Mart, though. Traffic is way too congested and complicated for newcomers).

But my favorite part of this procedure is the approach we take when finalizing our instructions. It's almost always concluded with, "If you get to 'such-in-such', you've gone too far."

This morning, I enjoyed as many turns of our county roads as time would permit. I slowed to watch pasture after pasture of cattle slurping up that grassland like it was fine chocolate. I waved, nodded and smiled at strangers who aren't, and lingered in the memories that crowded my mind.

Then as I turned and headed north towards the city, it dawned on me. If asked for directions for the county line ... that place that defines the simplicity of life and the goodness of our people ... I'd have to say, "If you get to the Boxcar Willie Overpass, you've gone too far."

Copyright ©2000 Jeanne Moseley