When I was little, we were a road trippin’ family. I’m not talking about driving across the country in a station wagon with Grandma strapped to the top, but we certainly held our own. I clearly remember one trip where I drew the short straw and was banished to the section just behind the driver and passenger seat, while my brother had the entire back seat at his disposal. I had never been so uncomfortable in my life, but hey, that’s what road trips were. Maybe some road trip socks would’ve made the ride a bit smoother.
Years later, as a college student, road trips were definitely a legitimate thing. From 8 hour treks through the middle of California, stopping only for some really bad, somewhat discolored food from the gas station rotisserie, to powering all the way through with nothing but 5 or 6 bags of chips and some super unhealthy soft drinks. If there was a road trip involved, you could count me in. Today, when I slip on some corn dog socks or Route 66 socks, I remember those days with a smile.
Today We’re Spoiled
Back in the day, driving in the middle of nowhere, often towards the middle of maybe somewhere, sometimes we let the chips fall where they may… Middle of the dessert with a busted a/c? Flat tire with a sketchy spare? Dad’s 8-track tapes from 1959 on a loop? Well, that’s what a road trip was all about! You had very little say in the matter, you were forced to just sit back and relax (or in my case, sit across the hump in the back).
Today, things are remarkably different. The art of the road trip is gone. Everyone has earbuds, cell phones, movies, friends that are somehow constantly in the car and heck, even satellite TV! Where’s the fun in that? If I wanted that, I could just stay home! What happened to the good ol' days of arguing with your brother, or playing I Spy, or giving the big-rig next to you the “honk your horn” signal, only to be gloriously rewarded when they blew that thing and the car shook?
Maybe There’s Hope
Nowadays, we take Sunday drives. Every time I suggest it, I get the same groans and gripes, questions about why? Do we have to? We did that last week (no we didn’t, it was last summer!) and so on. But one thing I’ve noticed (and it happens every time) is after awhile they stop complaining, turn the phones off (usually a rule right in the beginning), start talking to each other, smile and laugh. Some of our best moments in these past few years have come from these short road trips. And now, we all wear our road trip socks. What could be better!
So this summer, pile in the car, turn the phones off, play some old mom and dad music, and let the chips fall where they may. Slip on your Route 66 socks, corn dog socks, or any of our road trip socks and get to road trippin’.
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