The
New York State Thruway is pretty much the same as any thruway
or turnpike or repetitive stretch of scenery highway you might
find regardless of where you look. And I do mean regardless of
where you look.
I
find that multilane travels tend to be the great equalizer of
location. Hit sixty-five on a four-lane road and the trees in
Georgia remind you of the trees in Pennsylvania remind you of
the trees in Oregon. Keep in mind, I offer this knowing ski lifts
and palm trees are very different. Instead, I’m simply nodding
toward the idea that as vividly wonderful as some places are,
there are other ways that make them not that unique at all.
But
it’s the journey, right? The experiences between origin and destination.
The events that take place, are seen, can be enjoyed in the miles
between point a and point b.
The
journey.
And
all journeys are not the same… even along the same stretch of
road.
New
York State Thruway. Roughly mile marker 234. Roughly 11pm.
Off
to the side of the road is a tower illuminated in lovely neon.
Says Utica along the top on each of the four sides. Kind of a
bit of really tacky. But many of the most treasured landmarks
of any community took hold by staying in place over time and not
always by avoiding silly features.
(In
fairness, I have learned that the Utica Tower came about in 2014.
Not a great deal of time to take hold. Still, many people feel
quite strongly about it, and it has been transferred in care and
ownership at least once in order to save it. Back to our wandering…)
New
York State Thruway. Roughly mile marker 234. Roughly 11am.
Off
to the side of the road is nothing. Nothing at all.
Ok,
yes, that’s not entirely true. But it’s not far from accurate.
It took me a few years of never seeing the tower during the day
– likely worth noting, wasn’t exactly a tremendously active looking
for it few years – until I finally spotted it. Scaffolding. Scaffolding
with some decorative touches where the letters for Utica and outline
of windows might be… you know, might be if they were lit with
bright neon and an illusion of walls was created by the cover
of the night.
The
tower is a tower. Realistically, it’s kind of a fake tower. It’s
about place and time and perspective.
(Hold
on, philosophical lane change coming up.)
Welcome
to our journeys. Strangely familiar though completely unfamiliar.
Remarkably similar though not at all the same. There are things
along the way that sometimes we see and sometimes we don’t, others
do and don’t observe, many do and don’t care about, and often
just get missed during the speed and pace and diversions of the
journey.
Perhaps
the most important thing of all though is what we set up as our
own personal landmarks. Treasures of vast importance. Tacky, sure.
But wonderful.
Enjoy
the mile markers along your journey. (And do whatever it takes
to preserve them.)