Dear fellow travelers,
Have
you ever joined with friends to go on an automobile trip, to hike in a
forest, to visit a museum? Most of us have traveled with friends to do
these things. Such travel is a lot like our journey together at
Piedmont UU Church. We share the costs, the joy and the inspiration as
we learn, work together and help others along the way.
Back
in 1959 my friend and I took a long trip to the west coast and back.
My friend was in a car wreck and when he received an insurance
settlement, he had bought a new 1957 Plymouth. We struck out on US
highway 14 from Minnesota with an army surplus tent, a folding shovel, a
gasoline camp stove and a cooler in the trunk. We covenanted to share
expenses including the camping stuff. We were frugal just like we are
at Piedmont UU Church. We even changed our oil along a dirt road. I
wouldn’t do that today.
Our horizon widened as neither of us had been west of Minnesota.
We
learned about 4 lane roads and medians in Idaho. Around midnight we
pitched our tent in a grove of pines near the highway. Next morning we
realized that we were camping in the median of an Interstate. Highways
that we had previously traveled had been national 2 lane roads.
We
came home through Colorado and got close to nature. We often just
rolled out our sleeping bags under the stars. I awoke one morning in
the desert facing a little pack rat who had dragged all kinds of tin
foil and bottle caps to the door of his burrow. He was a junk
collector, so he and I had something in common.
Similar
to our longer term members at Piedmont UU Church, who built our
buildings, my friend had already invested in a car but I had to share
gas, oil and other expenses. We did give rides to several hitch hikers
and we did not ask them to pay.
May
your life journey be broadening, happy and educational. May our
church home nourish your spirit and inspire you to support Piedmont UU
Church with a share of your time, treasure and talent as you travel with
us and we learn together.
Karl
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