The Trek: Day Two

Being around Mr. Smart Guy's family lets me take a sneak peek into the past and hear great tales of his childhood ways and dreams.  It's a treat for me to sleep in his old bedroom, now turned guest room, and hear him recount the many nights he spent as a young boy staring at the ceiling pondering his future, considering the next days fun or just plain staring into the darkness of the night.  

A young boy then, a man now, who resembles his father in so many ways: humor, gentleness, a strong work ethic, kindness and a guiding desire to do the right thing.    

But, the highlight of the visit proved to be audio cassettes that were recorded in 1974 and unearthed for our listening pleasure.  Mr. Smart Guy's mom had recorded family activities and then sent them to his dad who was away on duty in the United States Navy.  Parents, siblings, nieces and nephews gathered around the cassette player and chuckled at the crazy antics, the chaos of dinner conversations and the funny banter as the four kids were getting ready for school.  I hear the voice of my husband at age 11 and can hear the man he was becoming.  What a sweet gift that we hope to digitize and pass on to our boys some day.

Our visit sped by much too fast with lots of hugs, coffee and conversations around the kitchen table.  The packed bags are waiting by the doorway. The next stop on our trek...the gulf coast of Mississippi.