This Is Me--2024 A to Z Theme

My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2024 the theme is a personal retrospective that I call "I Coulda Been" which is in reference to my job and career arc over my lifetime. I'll be looking at all sorts of occupations that I have done or could have done. Maybe you've done some of these too!

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Open Road ( #AtoZChallenge )


When self-driving cars become a reality, sometimes I'm going to take over the wheel when I'm on the open road...




#AtoZChallenge 2019 Tenth Anniversary blogging from A to Z challenge letter





           If my This Is Me series has consisted of a series of clues leading to what I'm talking about in the posts of said series then this post will be at the center of everything.  To put this another way, I think at the end of this Challenge you will be able to connect all posts with this post.  Not that anyone would likely do such a thing, but I'm just saying that's what would happen.

          Just keep in mind that now I'm winging this Challenge with day to day posts that are basically stream of consciousness   This doesn't mean topic focus is lost in my meandering.  I'm getting there, but just thinking as I go.

          Go where?

          The Open Road:  I've been traveling down this road a long time now, but I'd like to keep on going.  Just give me the gold and I'm on that road.  I've got this thing for touring.

          Stream-of-consciousness right there.  I might keep that.  But my real point is that there is something to this post called "Open Road" that is at the center of my series and maybe even my entire blog.  I'm going to stop this post here.  But the thoughts are living on.  I'm on that metaphorical road.

          How often do you use travel as a metaphor?  Do you ever write your blog posts in stream-of-consciousness style?   Did you get any sense of what I  was saying in this post?


20 comments:

  1. Oh! What a great idea. I knew a man in Texas once, by "day" he was a banker. On the weekends though, he drove a touring bus and LOVED it with a passion. Such passion that when he "retired" he started driving full time. He truly lived his dream and was inspiring to me... I hope your dream comes true, and SOON!!!

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    1. Lisa, well, I used to drive people around a lot and it was fun. I'd like to do something like that again. My question to myself is will I have the gumption to jump into the fire and emerge happy that I did.

      Lee

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  2. Rarely, yes, and not really...

    I'm going to have to go back over everything and see if I can find a trend.

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    1. John, yeah, if anyone actually gets exactly what I'm talking about I'd be very surprised. But I'd say I've left a lot of clues on my blog since it first began. I am purposely trying to be nebulous in the turn this series has taken.

      Lee

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  3. hmmm. the metaphorical open road. i do love a good metaphor. do you like Pilgrim's Progress?

    Joy at The Joyous Living

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    1. Joy, if I read Pilgrim's Progress it would have probably been at least 40 years ago. I'm familiar with it though. Was there a movie made of this back maybe in the 1930's?

      Lee

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    1. Frederique, that's the way I've seen it for as long as I can remember.

      Lee

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  5. Literally speaking, I'm wondering if you -- like blog friend, Jack (shipslog-jack.blogspot.com) aren't thinking of hitting the open road. Today, Jack's post began, "We are in our 80s and have lived in the motor home 22 yrs, 4 times longer than we ever lived in a brick and mortar home." Nice folks with lots of stories!

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    1. Myra, when I'm in my 80's I'd like to be able to say that. I keep meaning to take my wife to an RV show when one is going on. I do have my annual summer road trip coming up. But still I'm thinking of some other travel possibilities.

      Lee

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  6. My open-ended trips, to my way of thinking, include every time I decided to pick up and move at short notice, something I have done about seven times. But I don't write about it, at least not consciously. Although my 26 short stories this month are all about a virtual tour. Maybe that counts.

    http://gail-baugniet.blogspot.com
    AtoZ 26 very short stories in various genres

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    1. Gail, I don't much like moving, but I've had a few of those moves like you describe. When I was in my touring years I moved almost every day. Travel light is the advice that I have never been able to follow.

      Lee

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  7. I think you are going to sell everything, get a motorhome and travel the US on the Open Road. I know that's a thing recently.

    Janet’s Smiles

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    1. Janet, probably not that unless my wife has some sort of miraculous conversion about the topic. She wants to stay rooted and I actually do too.

      Lee

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  8. I believe I followed your thoughts but now I've got Willie Nelson singing in the back of my mind.

    On the road again, I can't wait...

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    1. LD, funny, I hear that song in my head a lot too. Have heard it for decades back to when I actually was living on the road.

      Lee

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  9. ha ha Willie Nelson and on the road again - what about the long and winding road -

    well, if you're thinking of touring elsewhere, you'd be welcome to use our home/s here in SA as stopovers ...

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    1. Susan S, if I ever make it to SA I might take you up on your offer, but don't look for me anytime soon.
      I'm probably not going to be leaving the continent where I am.

      Lee

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  10. Maybe you and your wife are taking to the open road to experience all that it has to offer?. I would love to go on the open road and visit the quirky places and attractions, like the place with the biggest ball of twine, for example.

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    1. Birgit, my wife likes it when we go for jaunts of a couple weeks or less, but I don't know that she could adapt well to living on the road. I'm wondering how well I would do these days. I'm all for seeking out quirky attractions, but often it seems we are in too much of a hurry to meet our schedule.

      Lee

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