Americana- Dirt Road Diary

Growing up I spent most of my life living on an old dirt road. The road I grew up on did not get paved until I was in my later teens and I do not know how many times I ran up and down that road to see my friends and hang out. We lived in a rural area with eight houses on the road and all my friends and neighbors were within a few years apart from one another. The road we lived on was a cur through for many people heading off to work and coming back from town. It was a good route so people did not have to stop at a four way and turn and head down a real steep hill.

With all that traffic cutting by the house the dirt stayed flying about all the time. Later in my childhood some of the parents got together and put down rock on the dirt road which made it better for fighting off the dust. But man did those rocks hurt when you went over the handlebars of your bike ot missed a jump off about a six feet drop and wiped yourself all over that road. The rocks were brutal and always won against the skin of a child. I cannot count the times I rode up and down that road or ran up and down it. From my house to the bus stop was about two hundred yards dead sprint in the mornings. It seemed like a half mile at the time when I was little. If you got a late start heading towards the bus stop and heard the old bus rumbling down the county road then you best get to running and fast.

Back then the bus drivers would leave you if you were not at the stop and then would stop and get you if you were there when they came back through. My dad wouuld leave for work around 7:15 everyday and you best not be standing there which showed him that you had missed the bus. So on occasion when I did we would run into a tobacco field right beside the dirt road and hide. I am sure he knew we were there and after a few tines he figured out that we were safe either way. Back then the country was safer and kids could be outside playing, standing at the bus stop and hanging outside until it got dark.

I have so many memeories of that dirt road and all the antics we got into. We played football, baseball, basketball, and other sports on that dirt road. We raced bikes, cars, motorcycles and anything with wheels on that road. The neighbors had some big dogs and they would always chase your tail down the road and come to the edge of the yard sounding like a monster ready to tear your leg off and eat it. Most of them werre actually just good old dogs that wanted to bark and act all tough. I seen fights on that road, kissed a=my first girl on that road and probably some other stuff that I do not need to admit too on here (my wife and kids) may read this posting.

For those that never had the pleasure of living in the country and growing up on a dirt road I am sorry for that. Dirt roads teach us life lessons, some good and some bad. Dirt roads make good memories and tough memories. Dirt roads twist and turn, Dirt roads are dusty at times. Dirt roads have holes and can tear a wheel up on your vehicle. Dirt roads go deep into the woods sometimes and you might not know where it leads you. Dirt roads often give you a choice to go one way or another to get somewhere. This is like life as all of these things will happen.

You will encounter potholes, hills, curves, and forks in the road. You will have times when life is muddy and dusty. You will have crashes, trees in the way (obstacles) but no matter what if you take that dirt road and stay the course it will eventually take you to a point where you want to be. Remember earlier I said that the dirt road I grew up on lead to a shortcut that made getting from point A to B easier for people. So just know that a good old dirt road is fine and a great place to live. I now live on a half mile dirt road again and still love to hit the gas on my jeep or truck and throw some dirt road dust in the air when I am driving to the house. You can drive hard, hit the humps in the road and make more memories on your dirt road diary.