Ghost Towns...
Posted July 18, 2007
Yesterday morning I awoke in the van to AJ's voice telling me to get up. When I sat up from my comfortable position, I saw the remnants of a place that once was filled with life and culture (of some kind). Now the place lay dormant with only a couple of signs - one saying the name of the city, with a population of 13 people, and the other telling a bit about the old buildings. This was an authentic South Dakota ghost town. We proceeded 14 more miles to find another ghost town called 1880 town, and we ate breakfast in an old train car. There were mostly elderly locals there who dressed very normal...
Being on the road is the most thought preventing and thought provoking thing ever. Sometimes 20 hour drives can stop me from wanting to think about anything other than how much I don't want to be in the van. But, other times, such as this morning, I can instantly be caught up in a whirlwind of thoughts. How was it to live in 1880 town, with it's little wooden church next to the saloon? Did those people ride horses and carry guns on their hips? Did they ever dream of leaving that patch of land that they called home and heading to New York City? I think that things are so different now because of technology, but it is sobering to think that the phrase, "From the dirt you were made, and to the dirt you will return", applies to me as much as it does (or did) to those people. Maybe my grandchildren will own flying cars or live in a glass dome under water, but, they too, will pass away. I am not being hopeless, but, rather, I am learning daily that our days are appointed by God, and each one is an opportunity to use the resources that we have now to serve Him.
My apologies to those I have bored with this rant, but, if you ever get a chance, take interstate 90 through South Dakota (and visit Mt. Rushmore). It is one of the coolest places we've been. Later... Joshua
