Roadtrip to Michigan

[Jennifer Diane Reitz]

Star Date 2010.0725 - 
I've always been a bit afraid of the Amish. As a strongly feminist, atheist-leaning, bisexual/lesbian aligned transsexual technocrat with brain-boner for science and secret love of the occult, every single thing about myself, from my thoughts to the very flesh of which I am physically composed would be anathema to an Amish person. I cannot help but think that in a world where the Amish dominated, I would likely be literally burned at the stake - people being people, and religious tradition being unchanged and all. I am always nervous around people who would murder me if only they had the social and political power.

Thus it was with some trepidation that I found myself on the hunt for Amish. We were cursing the back roads of Gladwin, tracking the spoor of the Amish - carriage trails in the dirt road, occasional lumps of equine fecal matter - in the hopes of photographing these elusive creatures.

I have my anger towards the Amish even as I respect them. I am angry that they refuse women an education beyond eighth grade, preferring that the minds of women not be addled with anything that might confuse their utility in being breeding stock and labor for men. I admire that the Amish keep alive pre-industrial farming technology; should civilization collapse, the Amish would just keep ticking along - at least until the road-warriors raided their farms for food and chainsaw-related fun.

The girls, dressed in archaic clothing, stood behind their wooden stand, boards propped up by the edge of a fine carriage and a saw-horse, selling pies, cookies, soap, and baskets. The could not have been older than sixteen, their mother hovering over them, wary and watchful. As we hopped out, I brought Eldenath's attention to the pile of woven baskets, so perfect for her Renaissance Faire play, and turned my attentions to something sacred in my personal religion; the glory that is pie.

At that moment a large, black land rover, driven by a red-faced, screaming man, tore around the nearby corner. The skinhead at the wheel was shouting epithets at the Amish, cursing and berating and threatening them, and this appalled me and horrified me; I know well what it is to be the target of such expression.

The two Amish girls shrank faintly as they turned from the voice speeding around the bend, and as we began arranging our purchases of jams and soap and a really nice basket, in that moment, as they smiled at my joke about it being basket of goodies and the hope we should not run into a wolf on the road, I felt only kindness and camaraderie and a kind of sisterhood born of shared oppression in a world of screaming foul-mouthed ass hats, and as we turned to return to our car, I realized that I had taken no pictured of them because they were people now, and not an exhibit for my amusement.

Jenny Plenty

[Eep]

Various parts of Michigan are where my mother grew up, and every time she makes a trip to Michigan, she comes back with smooth stones as souveniers, picked up on the shore of one or the other lakes.

If you don't have stones like that in Washington, they make a nice arrangement in a bowl on a table. Nice paperweights, too.

I hope you continue to have a great time, and that your trip back is much better than the trip there.

[draque]

Having grown up in PA, more or less all of my road trips led me through Amish country when I was younger. As strict as they are within their own ranks, they're some of the most accepting and friendly people that I've ever come across when I've passed through their communities and interacted with them. If anything, your pleasant experience with the Amish is the rule, rather than the exception. Also, yes, their baked goods are totally worth basing religion on. :3

[Monocheres]

I will never forget the weird, twisting, churning, roiling hand of cloud, reaching down towards me as I drove underneath. The clouds swirled so fast, and seemed so strange in that curiously quiet place inside the storm.

This was Jehovah's petulant way of retorting "I do SO exist!" Next time you must make sure to refute His assertion by mooning Him.

[Coda]

>.>; *covers mouth and tries not to giggle* I know I'm not SUPPOSED to find that funny ^^; but... Mono, that's funny.

[Jennifer Diane Reitz]

Star Date 2010.0728 - 
There comes a time during any long vacation where the ratio of fun to effort flips from being fun-filled to misery. Cumulative aches, bites, sunburn, sore muscles, sore joints, and sheer exhaustion overwhelm everything. It is then that thoughts turn longingly towards home, to the simple joys of a familiar and comfortable bed, of that good chair, of not having to be somewhere to do something at some specific time, to escape the chore of having a good time.

None of this denies that fun has been had; sights seen, rides ridden, food delighted in, experiences enjoyed - these all happened. It is rather that the adventuring party has taken too many hit points, and it is time to return to the castle for healing.

And what fun we have had!

We rode innertubes down the lazy Au Sable, we bounced about in a buggy over the dunes, we ran wave riders across Higgins Lake, saw the mighty Henry Ford museum, visited the turn of the century in Greenfield Village, and chatted with period soldiers about the life of ancient Fort Michilimacinac, and more. We have dined high and low, the rough food that takes one from lonely burg to lonely burgers, as well as the fine cuisine that come with a proper night out on the town. And there is more, caves and Rushmore yet to come on the way back, but in truth the greatest hope, the light that leads us now is the beacon that is home.

Home, home, wonderful refuge from ache and bruise, comfortable, dry, safe, relaxing home.

It then seems that the point of turning of which I speak in the natural course of a vacation is that home, which one initially escapes, becomes in the end the true vacation, a vacation from the rigors of travel in the world at large.

Perhaps the point of a vacation is to reset the machine of a person, such that what they had all along is once again known to be the glory and the blessed refuge that it ever was; home, lovely home, the familiar made exotic and desirous by the very lack of it.

Oh, I am sure that when this is all done, I shall miss the far-away soon enough, for it is human nature to ever be restless and to take the familiar for granted. But also I return with a store of fine memories and both happy and rough experiences, for that is what adventures are made of, and that treasure shall recharge me until, perhaps, some distant time, it is vacation once again.

Jenny Plenty

[Monocheres]

We shall not cease from exploration.
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.

[Plasman]

Man, I can remember being in that position, when you've decided that "fun's fun, but I wanna go home now". I recall at least one occasion when we were stuck on holiday with our Dad, who had clearly not realised that the rest of the family only wanted to go home already...

Anyways, we all sit back and eagerly await the slideshow!

[Jennifer Diane Reitz]

Star Date 2010.0731 - 
Bozeman, Montana. 12 hours from home. Motel. Very weary. Drove through storm and lightning. Had terrible imitation Mexican food. Longing, longing for home. Home cannot come soon enough. So tired, so sore. 

The Corn Palace had, unsurprisingly, corn. The Great Plains had flatness, their major crop. All worldly flatness comes from here, plane and simple.

Morale is tricky, we may have to resort to cannibalism, not for reasons of hunger, but of respite.

Jenny Plenty

[Mitsukara]

I'm glad to hear your trip seems to have been a good and memorable one. I am also most pleased at your lack of tornado-related demise (and your lack of any other kind of demise).

Being in my early 20s, I must say that my hopes for the world to not totally disintegrate seem a bit higher than your own, though I do try to be very careful and perhaps do some contingency planning in case I'm wrong (and I think my dear Emily will soon be helping me with that considerably, especially in the defenses department). I do expect certain things to fail, yes- the American system of car transportation being chief among them- but I'm hoping the world will go on, and that technology will persist. That said, whatever happens, I hope this trip brought you some joy, just in general, because if nothing else, life is always worth enjoying while one has it.

I'm kind of curious, if you don't mind me asking, did Stephen come along as well? If not, I'm sure he awaits the three of you! Ganbatte!


P.S. La- errrr, Sinosaur, should I have the chance to visit that part of Michigan someday, I shall surely hunt for your pink stain. I will liken it to the pink stain found in The Cat in the Hat Comes Back.
P.P.S. Upon reexamination, I realize you said you were twelve hours from home; so my well-wishes are a little late. Alas! The intent remains.

[Anna]

It's difficult to write a post here.
Since her return from her vacancy, Jennifer is disapeared in a black hole.
And I'm afraid that is literally the truth.
It was fun to read her describtions about the journey and I thought the worsest time is over.
But it seems, back to the usally home place and the old feelings are back, the munsters and critters at home did waiting for her.

I can only speculate what happened.
Is it a depression? Or is it an other sickness?
Is there some other trouble at home?
Or is simply the computer kaputt?

As I earlier wrote, I know depressions, there are always my "partners", and I did learn to handle them, almost.
If it is so as I do suppose, I never had a depression which paralyzised me, this come like an avalanche, and it throws you to the ground.
My experiences are more like a swamp, I have to cross the the unfriendly terrain, and sometimes I do stick in it.
I get some anti depressiva, but to be honest, they are no real help, I was twice in danger to make a sucide, during the time as I did take these pills. the last one, I really tried to open the arteria of my left arm. It didn't work, the piece of glas did made a cut but even with strength it wasn't deep, more like a scratch. Skin isn't easy to hurt very deep.
That's months ago, but I was getting closer to it.

And now there's something which confused me, some weeks ago I discoverd a brown spot on my skin, obviousley a melanoma, big as a coin, I never noticed it before, there was nothing before.
It was a little fight with myself to fix a date to a dermatolgist, next tuesday afternoon.
So I wonder what it will be, what are the next steps, hey, earlier I did want to die, and now...
There's a possibly danger ahead, and I feel fear, and I ask myself how will I handle it if the worsest case will come?
Or is it harmless?

I don't mention it because of a phrase:
"Hey, others are also in trouble!"
No, - I remember to a quote of Jennifer, she did talked about the piggy flu which infected her last year, one of the results was a depression.
The flu did get her and Eldenath very heavily.
I think I can understand, this sickness is a suddenly attack from the back, it hurts, all the feelings to be safe are gone, it takes you to a place where you never wanted to be and you can not really fight against it.
I nearly have the same feelings now, but I don't know yet what the results will be.
It's a slip down, trying to crawl into the wall to get a stop or so, to brake it out.
These are my personal problems of the moment.
How to handle it meanwhile?
I've got some graphic jobs, not much, but enough get some money.
Enough to bring my brain and my thoughts back to the line.



And...
Jennifer, I did send you a PM, there's a link for a download, some japanese music.
The link will work untill the end of September.

[Plasman]

For Anna, Jenny, and the rest of the Forum members having to deal with stuff... A Big Hug.

Good luck with the dermatologist visit, Anna. If you caught it early enough you should be fine. Please let us know how you get on!

And Jen... please come back on and let us know how you are doing. I know that many of us on here are but strangers compared to those who know you in real life, but... we still care, you know?