I just made travel arrangements to go see my parents in Oklahoma. Oklahoma would probably not be a travel destination were it not for my parents. I do, however, have good childhood memories of visiting family in OK many years ago - riding horses and watching my uncles do their thing in the rodeo. I loved their accents, and their seemingly easy way of life. My parents were both born and raised in OK, then moved to California, where I was born and raised. Weird, though, because even though my parents were born and raised in OK they don't have accents. I wonder if they had accents when they were younger? And don't accents follow people when they move? Hmm, a question I will leave unanswered because, frankly, I don't really care about the answer. What I do care about is when people say "Warshington" instead of "Washington." There is no "R" in Washington, people! Anyway, that is totally off the subject.
When my dad retired, they moved back to OK, mostly because their retirement dollars would go a lot farther in OK than in CA. So, that is why we now are flying to OK and not some other place to visit my parents. My dad has been in poor health and in the hospital/nursing home since October, and this will be the first time we've been able to see him and my mom in a while.
I don't really like to fly. I always think the worst and have to make sure that all our "papers" are in order and where our children can find them. I know that airplane crashes are few and far between, but that doesn't stop me from silently freaking out. And then when we land, we will have to drive our rental car an hour and a half to my parents' house. It's not just planes, but cars as well . . . or trains . . . or busses . . . or horse and buggy . . . any kind of transportation. Thinking about getting in any one of those modes of transpo kind of makes me anxious. But, I'm sure it will be okay. (Right???)
Anyway, this is not about me . . . it's about lightening my mom's load for a few days and hopefully cheering up my dad. THAT is worth the silent freak.
Safe Travels, Judy! Enjoy the ride...Blake will drive you.
ReplyDeleteSafe travels. I'm sure your parents will love having you there.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're able to visit them. You posted before that it was on your mind.
ReplyDeleteI think it is wonderful that you are willing to do something you hate, to show support for your folks. We do rodeos here in NorCal too. They do not interest me, but they sure do my three sons, who were raised up here.
ReplyDeleteI spent a week with my then boyfriend's family in Woodward, OK -- great people, nice town, HOT and humid - this was July. I would enjoy visiting Oklahoma City -- slice of America.
ReplyDeleteANd, maybe they have rodeo's in Mark's piece of NorCal but I've never been to one and have not seen one advertised here in town.... funny how that is..
I haven't told my kids I put all our papers in order before we fly. I tell my sister, and then she does the silent freak out while we are gone. Hope you have a safe trip, and a good visit with your folks.
ReplyDeleteWe had a missionary speak in our ward a couple weeks ago from North Carolina. He had NO accent. Having served my mission in his home town, I was confused! i thought accents were hard to get rid of.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful time with your family! You're a good daughter to get past your fears to go visit them.
I have an aunt who had the opposite problem. Having been raised in the northwestern corner of Pennsylvania, she didn't have much of an accent (or at least not as far as the rest of the family who was also raised there could tell), but then as a young adult moved to Florida and then later South Carolina, where she lived for twenty years or so. She's been back north for almost as long as she was south, but hasn't yet shaken the accent. As someone who moved around quite a bit as a kid, I would say accents are actually somewhat contagious. ;)
ReplyDeleteWishing you a safe (and not too stressful) trip.
Have a safe trip. Your mom was always so kind to me. Give her a hug from me.
ReplyDelete