As the eldest daughter of an over-the-road (OTR) trucker, I learned early in my life to pick up at the drop of a hat and GO! I remember one Christmas when I was about eight years old (?). My dad came home from work one day, told my mom to prepare for a car trip to Pennsylvania, and four hours or so later, we were on the road! (I’m amazed at my mom’s unflappability in such instances!)
The picture at right is my dad with his truck, a picture taken shortly after my oldest daughter was born (1974) in Dallas. Whenever my dad was on the road and passed through an area close to where we lived, he’d try to drop by and see us. In this case, I think he was pretty anxious to get acquainted with our daughter!
Inheriting my love of travel from my dad enabled me to enjoy being part of several music groups. We’d travel to perform at county fairs, school gatherings, church groups, Kiwanis and Rotary clubs, and just about any other function where a music program would be appropriate and we were invited.
Riding in chartered buses was our primary mode of transportation. The drill varied but often required us to travel at night, arrive at our destination for a breakfast program, take a few hours off before presenting a lunch program and then rehearse before doing a longer evening program. After we were finished at the end of the day, we might be on our way straight back to school … or sometimes journeying to another program locale. Continue reading “Road Trip”