Thursday, August 02, 2007

time travel

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After two days in Galena, Illinois, I returned home and repacked to head out to Hannibal, Missouri with the farmer. It's a nice drive from our home, probably what's referred to as a "one tank trip". Being located in Northern Illinois there are alot of interesting places to visit that require only one tank (or thereabouts).

When you head west out of Springfield, Illinois you'll have the road to yourself. Hannibal is tucked along the bank of the Mississippi just across from Illinois. It's the boyhood home of Samuel Clemens, better known by his pen name, Mark Twain.

Time travel books, with their promise of transporting you to another place and time were always fascinating to me. Unfortunately time has also done unkind things to the vivid imagination I once enjoyed as a child when my mind could efficiently transport me to a saddle on a Palomino, riding alongside Gene Autry. No one could convince me that it wasn't so.

But still it's fun to try and imagine you're watching Clemens run in the front door, past this desk with it's quill and ink and Bible.

I'm very glad there are people committed to preserving the past. It allows us adults to attempt to imagination flying once again.

4 comments:

Ava said...

Hello there! I hope that you have a great weekend! I'm going to get some rest this time!!! That's my plan!!!

By the way, I'm in Hannibal this weekend!!!

Anonymous said...

But i don't think Twain had much use for the Bible, did he?

Lori said...

I love this picture and the story behind it. I think I appreciate history so much more the older I get.

Thanks for sharing.

Suzanne said...

Ava - I tried to contact you to see if you were performing in Hannibal on this weekend.

Pablo - No, I don't think he did but his mother did and this boyhood home reflects the atmosphere in which he was raised.

Lori- I'm hoping that my kids will begin to appreciate history.