For True Believers - ZION

Here's the thing. At least for me. Maybe for you. We are way too much a goal oriented society. All through our lives we are led into setting our sites on something. Achieve it. Give a cheer. Move on. Set the next goal. Achieve it. Move on.

Think about it.

We don't go to school. Not really. What we do is start heading to a bunch of finish lines. We finish kindergarten. Hurrah! We speed through 1st 2nd 3rd grade with our eyes on middle school. Do you have kids? I remember mine. Middle school was like getting through a half marathon. Hurrah again! Like clipping a nail. Off. Done. Gone. Move on!

High school. Senior year. Graduation. Hurrah hurrah. Hurry hurry hurry. Hurrah. Jobs. Marriage. Kids. WHEN ARE WE GOING TO STOP?

Have you ever seen in movies, like cowboy movies, where they ride through a dusty old town, and they pass a few 'codgers' sitting on the stoop who raise an eyebrow as the cowboys ride on. When was the last time you just 'codged,' the last time you sat on a porch and stared at life with no thought of multi-tasking?

You get it, don't you? For me, when I'm long distance driving, the Interstate, the big 'I' takes over. Suddenly, time is of the essence, even though all along it was to be a comfortable pace through our glorious country. I blame the INTERSTATE system. Look at a map. You can take 2, 3, 4 interstates and get from any point A to any point B. Not much along the way. But the goal is as clear as can be. Gosh, kind of ridiculous, isn't it?

So, don't give into 'I' thinking. Get off the big 'I' like I70 and go somewhere you'll never be near again.

Just past Green River, Utah, on I-70 (gas up at the West end of Green River!), take Hwy 24 South to Hanksville. If you're hungry, stop at the Red Rock Restaurant right on Hwy 24. Ask for Sonja. She's not sweet, not happy. But so much a cranky good waitress. She turned to me and said, "You just get finished cleaning and here come some more."

In walked a bunch of midlife crisis bikers asking for a table for ten! It rolled right off Sonja who said, "Right there," pointing to a table, "It's ready for you." I think she'd had it with the legions of bikers who'd been passing me on the road, with their bandanas and Harley trailers, and amp'd up accelerator noises.

I liked that. Her having had it with everything, in a town about one block long, at the Red Rock Restaurant, with nothing else at all going on.

From Hanksville, just past Loa turn left (West again) on Hwy 62 which comes to a junction with Hwy 89, going South. At Mt. Carmel Junction - finally - turn right onto Hwy 9 and head West again through Zion National Park. It's $25.00 dollars to take the road through the park but it's $25.00 of heaven. I asked Lila at the park entrance booth, "How's business this summer?" She said, "It's really busy. Lot's of people who would normally be on cruises or in Hawaii are here."

I said, "Well, that's good."

Lila said, "It's good. But it's like they don't know what they're doing here."

Hmmm. Here's what I'll tell you. Zion means, 'heaven as the final gathering place of true believers.' Drive through this park even if you don't know what you're doing here. It's a miracle of rock. Plenty of places to photo stop. Look at this tunnel. And much more that's worth slowing down to see.

Marcia's advice for today:
Even for just an afternoon, be a true believer.

Marcia's 'listen to' song for today: David Byrne's Dirty Old Town