Last weekend we took a train ride along the river and into the mountains. The scenery was gorgeous and the chance to ride on the nearly extinct thing called a passenger train was glorious. The railroad is what built America. Many a town sprouted up near rail stations and quickly fell away when the rail changed course. The railroad supported families. It built the American middle class.
But people today are too busy to travel by train. We are in too much of a hurry and prefer to get from point A to point B in the least amount time possible. People on trains used to talk to one another. Today, people talk on phones or stick little buds in their ears so they do not have to interact at all. Husbands met wives on trains. Children traveled to see grandparents by trains. Today we search out love electronically and children would rather just email a greeting to Grandma rather than go for a visit. Yes, we are very busy these days. However, for a few hours one Saturday afternoon in the Fall, my family and I got to experience something extraordinary.
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