July 22, 2002
DOWN HOME:
Captive audience & long road trip
___We just got back from our summer vacation, and I was surprised to realize how much I liked a particular part of our annual journey.
___I'm talking about the long road trip.
___We went to the beach with our friends the Adamses. And, of course, I enjoyed splashing in the surf, sleeping late, reading books, eating seafood, playing games and forgetting which day of the week it was. I also appreciated going for an extended period of time without wearing long pants and--in case I didn't make myself clear the first time--sleeping late.
___But I loved the long car trip with Joanna and our daughters, Lindsay and Molly.
MARV KNOX
Editor
___This stunned me for several reasons.
___First, more than just about anything other than talking on the telephone, I can't stand being stuck in a car. The long commute to and from work is the worst part of my normal day. And the drive to the beach is 29.629 times--in miles, at least--longer than the path from our driveway to my parking spot at work.
___Second, and more specifically, I generally recall former long road trips with a vague sense of dread and unease. When Lindsay and Molly were little, we lived anywhere from 12 hours to 14 hours away from our family. That's a long time to hear, "Are we there yet?" and "I'm so bored!" and "When can we stop to go to the bathroom?" and "She's looking out my window!"
___So, in theory, I despise long road trips.
___But shortly after we left our home in Lewisville, I realized we would have hour upon hour of family togetherness. No ringing telephones, no TV. (When the girls were little, I would've given the spare tire, speedometer and all the change stuck between the seats for these new flat-screen TVs with VCRs that come in some cars today. That was then.) This was just us. Together.
___On long road trips, the girls are a captive audience for my sophisticated jokes, enlightening stories and lovely ballads, all of which they conveniently classify as corny. Of course, they sleep some, and sooner or later, everyone complains of cramped legs and fanny fatigue.
___Still, hours together crammed in our sedan produce unprompted moments of splendid family fidelity. I love listening to us sing along to favorite country tunes, counting cows, and discussing books and movies and unusual scenery passing by our windows.
___Inevitably, we play "The People Guessing Game"--some folks call it "20 Questions"--which reminds us of family and friends whose lives God has used to bless our own.
___For sure, we'd all go crazy if we drove 12 hours every day of our vacation. (And can you imagine how Hebrew parents handled a 40-year road trip through the wilderness?) But I love bracketing both ends of our summer sojourn in a car with my wife and kids. It's a linear worship experience of epic proportions.
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