Today, like so many families on a fall Saturday, we had soccer games. The difference is, we have to drive two hours round trip to play. Every Saturday. And, because we had a 9 a.m. game today, that meant getting up at 6:30 (where WAS that dang sun?) so we could leave by 7:30 to get to Pueblo in time for warm-ups.
In our small town, there is no soccer in school. It would perhaps - God forbid! - cannibalize the football program and, well, this is small town America and we just cannot have that. So beginning in grade school and going through middle school, our kids train during the week here for games played in a league an hour away. We always have to travel because, even though we live in a beautiful valley that is certainly worth a Saturday car trip, we're the only ones up here so down the hill we all go.
It's OK. We're used to having to travel a ways for things. Unless you can get them at the Family Dollar, which we do have. On fall Saturdays we make the downhill run for a little recreation, maybe lunch, some errands, even a movie that we think might not make it up to our one-plex. People often say "how can you drive an hour to get everywhere?". It's easy. There was a time when people used to take weekend drives either for recreation or supplies. So it's really not that different. Today, the Aspens were beginning to turn along with the Maples and Cottonwoods so it was a pleasure. Besides, people in the city spend an hour in their cars going places. They're just not moving, in general. I'd rather have it my way.
