Jewells of Thought

Driving. Thursday afternoon. Nerves. My nerves were raw and I was so nervous I was sweating beads for two reasons. Highway 54 was closed and will be closed for a while. It’s the main thoroughfare from Sullivan to Linton unless you know and use the backroads. Fortunately I do, as a good former Farmers daughter and country girl.

Thursday though brought reality to an old memory from a county road. I was driving towards Sullivan on a road that had fresh gravel on it. Nearly too much it brought me back a few years to August 1st when I had my 360 degree spin. I was heading towards Sullivan then too. Once the car stopped I was in the opposite direction in the shoulder area next to a cemetery I and my family know well.

The rock and perhaps going a little too fast led to this accident. Then a day full of headaches or rather a migraine that never fully left. After dealing with headaches for 3 days I finally let my Mom take me to the ER. The idea of fishtailing scares me to death now. I am much more cautious on rock which I always was I though, but I am more so after this traumatic excursion of mine.

Then earlier this week when the closure first happened my emotions were sent to another time again. Early in 2022 I began working at Davita in Illinois. My training due to some weird circumstances took place for 3 weeks and two days each week. I had to drive separately from my cohort who was also being sent with me. I had really hoped we would be able to meet and go together that wasn’t in the cards apparently.

Each time I took off I went the back way from my house to highway 41. Monday I found out a good chunk of the road is now gone. The mine changed the area altogether it simply doesn’t exist anymore. For some reason that struck a chord in my heart because it was part of that routine for me for 3 weeks.

Is it weird to have such responses to the road and the differences with the road and the area? Have you experienced such emotions to change in something that doesn’t really affect you now, but is in your history of moments remembered?