Sunday, October 16, 2011

THE DEMISE OF THE SUNDAY DRIVE

Today was beautiful in the way that a Pacific Northwest day in October can be picture perfect. Crisp, brilliant sun taking away the chill, the smell of wood smoke on the air, a last chance to be strolling outdoors without a coat.

"It's too beautiful to work indoors," my husband said, "What do you want to do today?" He suggested a walk on the beach followed by a game of cribbage and an early dinner. "How about a Sunday drive?" I asked, fully aware that he would know exactly what I had in mind. Ever up for any good idea, he acquiesced, and we set forth in my little red Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder.

For our generation, Sunday drives were frequent weekend outings, with everyone piled in the car, and no particular destination in mind. Just a chance to be together, scoping out other houses, yards, people and lifestyles. Cheap entertainment in those days, with gas at $.29 per gallon. My mom would throw together a lunch usually consisting of fried chicken, potato salad, rolls, pickles, chocolate cake, and any other tasty addition for an impromptu picnic at an exciting location like Birch Bay, Mount Baker, Wiser Lake or Donavan Park. While our parents gossiped, gawked and oohed over the scenery we played invented games in the back seat. Games like twenty questions, counting silos, and checking out the license plates of passing cars. The latter was particularly exciting if a car bore a California plate or some other faraway state - almost as if seeing the car meant we somehow had a connection to that distant land.

In between games, as the world passed by outside our windows, we gained a sense of our community, an understanding of local geography, and a feeling of belonging as we participated in these family field trips. Unbeknownst to our parents, they were providing us with educational gifts. Our imaginations, observation and thinking skills were being honed, and they helped us pass the miles and hours, contributing to the nostalgia I feel when looking back.

I think few of today's children will have memories like mine as they listen to their ipods, focus on their game boys, or watch movies on a backseat television screen. It is unlikely they will see the pheasant startled from its hiding place, the deer in the woods, or the eagle soaring in the sky. Intent on their toys, they will probably miss the spectacular wild flowers growing alongside the road, or catch the scent of newly mown grass.

According to Wikipedia the Sunday drive came out of the 1920s and 30s, when the idea was put forth that the car was to be used for pleasure as well as commuting and errands. The practice continued through the 20th century and seems almost passe in these early years of the 21st century. Sadly, rising gas prices have dealt a death knell to this truly American pastime. That and the need to fill our children's lives with structured play, sports, and activities that do not promote learning about our surroundings, expand our powers of observation or promote family togetherness.

I find myself wondering what children fifty years from now will be remembering with nostalgia. They will undoubtedly know a lot about the world because of technology, but will they have taken time to smell the roses, guess the answer to "twenty questions", or sit in the back seat of the family car making memories that will last a lifetime? Without lower gas prices and serious effort on the part of parents, probably not. I, however, remain thankful that Sunday drives were part of my childhood. By the way, for those of you unfamiliar with farming lingo, silos are storage structures for storing livestock feed. Click on the word to learn more and see pictures of what we used to count.

With one foot in the past, and one in the future, I "surfed the net" and found a wonderful tune called "Sunday Drive" by Dean Brody. Enjoy his youtube offering about a wonderful experience that is now part of the good old days.



1 comment:

  1. Jan, I can happily say that all of the younguns, in my world, have enjoyed the "Sunday drive" in some variation. The electronics, while seemingly fiberoptically attached, dissappear and the oohs and ahhs, laughing, singing and "slug bug no take backs" abound. I do consider this one of the best contributions Jay and I have made to their worlds. I can also say that, in our travels, we observe many families out and about on weekend gatherings. Keep the faith, not all is lost...specially the "Sunday drive."

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