During the last few weeks, I have driven more than 4,500 miles – round trip from River Forest to the East Coast, and from here to Texas and back on the other. Why drive? It gives me time to see things that I wouldn’t see from 30,000 feet. And it gives me time to think.
Most of the time was on the interstate highway, which isn’t particularly enlightening. But driving reinforces for me the vastness and beauty of America – from the blue waters of Chesapeake Bay in Maryland to the drought-stricken Hill Country of central Texas. And it sparks the imagination to consider pioneers discovering these places and finding a way to make a living and raise their families during the last 250 years.
But some windshield time on the backroads also kept me focused on the present. In particular, diesel fuel.
Forty years ago, my wife and I got around Oak Park and River Forest in a diesel-powered Volvo sedan. After about 12 years, the sedan had to step aside for a minivan as our parenting-related transportation needs changed. So, many moons have passed since I paid much attention to diesel.
This time around, I was especially struck by how far apart things are in our rural areas. Here in West Cook County, a place to refuel is only blocks or a couple of miles away. Out in the country, the drive to refuel takes a lot longer – requiring more planning and expense. So as local radio personalities decried soaring diesel prices during my trips, I gained a new appreciation for the daily plight of farmers and small-town truckers.
I know that an epiphany about long-distance driving in remote areas isn’t much of an epiphany. Maps confirm how our nation is largely wide-open space. But during every election cycle, we hear media reports about rural Americans who consider themselves “forgotten.”
Freedom is America’s calling card – often represented by the thought of being “on the road again.” Let’s not forget those who drive big rigs, pickups and farm machinery – for whom freedom certainly gets less free every day.
Jim Wisuri
River Forest
