Reason Be Not My Guide

It has been quite some time since Mollie and I made a spur-of-the-moment traveling decision. For the last few months, our travels have been many and planned, be it for family events or a weekend of baseball. But with our infant child steadily growing and our weekends free of other commitments, we had been mulling taking an impromptu trip to Cedar Rapids for Mollie's AOπ reunion breakfast. With in minutes of deciding traveling to CR likely wasn't the best idea, and just before we committed to staying home, we had settled on a completely new destination, Oswego (near Chicago - home to my family).

While we have a varied and long history of making rash traveling decisions, there is one trip that stands out above all others. It was some three to five years ago, while we were unfettered by pitter-patter of tiny feet. The Fourth of July was a day away, or a day behind - I cannot remember, and we were in search of a firework show. Google found the nearest; it was down by the river in Alton, IL. Springfield, IL is not exactly near Alton, but despite the great distance and the mere 60 minutes until show time, we jumped in the car and were off like a bat out of some place where a bigger bat was flying around and trying to eat it. Fortune smiled on us, the explosives display ran for an extended time, and we arrived in time to watch fifteen minutes of fireworks. We parked and sat on the warm hood of our car, taking in the colors.

When the last shell had burst, we feared our trip would be much wasted if we only stayed for the fifteen minutes of flame, so we sought out other distractions before making our way home. And distraction we found in a nearby casino. Before we finally turned our headlights northwards, Mollie had worked her way through ten dollars, while I had mostly doubled mine.

On the casino floor, Mollie had found a discarded cash-out slip; someone had apparently seen little value in the four cents that remained to them. I took and held the four pennies she had cashed out, keeping them safe while an idea brewed in my mind. When the idea had finally rounded out, I turned a small, oak candle stick with the pennies secured into its side, as though Mr. Lincoln was peering out in each of the four directions.

That candlestick now sits above our television, or on the mantle as seasonal decorations dictate. It is a daily reminder of how spontaneity, in lieu of reason, can lead to great experiences and greater memories.

So where will you go this weekend?