Opinion

Taking the wrong road

Thursday, June 29, 2006

There are not many highways in western Missouri that I am not familiar with. Since we have lived in ten different towns or cities in the western part of the state, and traveled often to many other locations in that area, I can usually get wherever I want to go without even referring to the map.

But I do keep the most current map of Missouri in my purse, right next to my checkbook. It is not just to check which road is best, but it also gives me information about what I may see as I travel these roads.

I keep another map of Missouri in the car in addition to a map atlas that gives information on all the other states. My twice-yearly trips from Washington, D.C., to Nevada and back again accustomed me to frequent map usage.

How far is it to the next town where we can get gas or eat? (Now those opportunities happen more frequently where two major highways intersect than in the bigger towns.) Where do we want to spend the night? Will this route by-pass the big cities? All of these things can be answered with a quick look at the map atlas.

Last Sunday I was scheduled to speak at the United Methodist Church at Shell Knob. I had been to this church twice before but I refreshed my memory of the quickest route. I remembered being late for a meeting there because of getting stuck behind a log truck on a narrow highway. I didn't want to repeat that experience.

A preliminary look at the map gave me the information that I would leave highway 96 at highway 39 and that would take me straight into Shell Knob. My early morning trip was beautiful and uneventful. I arrived 30 minutes early, very relaxed.

After lunch I started the return trip and was looking forward to taking a closer look at some of the things I passed in a hurry earlier that day. I was noticing an interesting display outside a store in one of the towns when I realized that I needed to get in the left-hand lane to turn left to get back on 96. I scolded myself for not being more attentive to the signs, but I made the turn successfully and was heading west-on Highway 60, not 96! This was no big concern since I knew I could turn north again soon, leaving 60 behind and head for 96. I pulled to the side of the road to consult my trusty map and chose another route with several roads I had not used recently. I imagine you are expecting me to report some catastrophe from my choices, but it was just the opposite. I went through small towns I had not seen in years -- if ever. I found some beauty spots along the road that were different than the sights I usually see on old 66 (96). In one town I again was gawking at the homes along the highway and missed a sharp turn the highway took and ended up on a residential street. My three block self-imposed detour took me past a picturesque bandstand in the middle of the street, some grand old homes and an interesting city hall.

When I got back on highway 37 I kept to my intended route and arrived home with no other miss-turns.

My trip home took no longer than the early morning one did, and I saw new and different things and enjoyed myself.

It might be prudent to stick to the straight and narrow, but it is a lot more fun to occasionally leave the same old route and find new territory to explore. I wonder if that could be true in life as well as on roads?