Seeking Authentic Voice

This morning I am watching Jenna Bush Hager describe her road trip along highway 12 in Southern Utah, part of her "America the Beautiful" report on the Today Show. I made that trip a couple of years ago, although unlike JBH I was not in a classic caddie convertible. I was driving my old VW Passat Wagon with the new engine. (The engine in this car "blew" in Dec. 2009, part of the engine sludge build up that was unfortunately all too common in Passats...It cost us $5000.00 and many months of scrimping and saving to replace the engine)....  Highway 12 truly is one of the wonders of this country, a spectacular drive through Bryce Canyon and the Escalante Staircase (or in this case, my dad's backyard from his house off of Highway 12)  and Calf Creek.... That road trip will always be one of my favorite trips, in large part because it was taken with my son and his dog, Emmy: Although I am on vacation this week, I will n...

The road traversed long, sometimes narrow and steep. Oh! So very high up - and, then - down. Winding along through canyons of red and grey stone with scraggly trees and shrubs. Leaving my car behind, for a bit of a hike, I wandered along a well worn trail. Ancient land, Indian land, land of migrating wild cats and who knows what else. Land that my father lives on. Land that one day will be "mine" or so he says in his trust. Land that really belongs to no one and yet, everyone.