The Ride of Our Lives - Episode 1
In late November of 2003, I received a call from my parents wishing me a happy birthday. They had recently moved from a rental condo in the San Diego area to a similar-sized, but less expensive unit on the outskirts of Phoenix. The Arizona realtor had listed the property as being an easy walk to shops and restaurants.
It wasn’t.
But a two year lease had been signed and that was that.
“Mike, I goofed up” my father said over the phone. “The house is pretty far from everything and it’s kind of lonely.”
At 87 and 82, my gregarious dad and fun-loving mom didn’t have time on their sides. I went to bed feeling saddened about their relative isolation.
Then the dream came.
In it, I was driving my parents down a country road in a huge rented RV. They were looking out the window and smiling.
The following morning, my wife sat dumbfounded as I linked the odd dream to a plan of action.
“Cathy, in January I’m going take a month’s leave from NBC, rent an RV and give my parents a tour of America. Actually, I’m going to rent two RV’s and bring some of our kids along. And we’ll time it so we are passing through Chicago just when Megan is having the baby. It would be cool seeing my mom and dad hold their first great grandchild.”
“You’re not serious.” Cathy countered, incredulity written in 25 point type across her astonished face. “You don’t know how to drive an RV. You’re not a camper. And your parents are nutty. Aren’t you risking your job? What about the kids’ jobs? What about Brendan’s second semester of college? And the money? The whole thing might cost a fortune. And you can’t predict exactly when a baby will be born. Who knows when he or she will arrive? No, I’m not signing off on this. It’s a stupid idea.”
Six weeks later, in two rented RV’s, I set off with my elderly and eccentric parents, three grown children and a daughter-in-law on what would soon become the ride of our lives.
(With each free Ride of Our Lives episode, I will provide paying subscribers with out-takes from the journey as well as related video material gathered during my NBC career that showcase examples of Americans living in harmony by embracing - even celebrating - their regional, cultural or ethnic differences. Those stories are mostly overlooked by news editors who view tranquility as boring or sappy. They are neither. They are real - and who doesn’t need that dose of reality during these contentious times?)
Spread the word. Share this series. People of our country need to know that Americans will bond together when the realization hits that despite the divisive rhetoric, we are in this together.
The Ride of Our Lives Episode 1
(Runs 5:33)
Below - A visit to Berea, Kentucky. The place to be when “the you know what hits the fan.”
For as long as humans have roamed the earth, there has been concern that an apocalyptic end is just around the corner. So far so good. But a dozen years ago some misguided folks incorrectly noted that the ancient Mayan calendar ran out of dates on December 21, 2012, meaning sayonara for all earthlings.
A movie was made and articles written, one suggesting that the best place to be when doomsday hit was Berea, Kentucky given the community’s dedication to sustainable existence. If anybody could scratch out a living using old school tools and materials - it was the Bereans.
Naturally, I traveled to the Kentucky town and found sustainability galore. I also found lots of good humored people laughing in the face of their “impending doom.”
Yes, there are legitimate worries about the future of democracy, nuclear weapons, AI, etc. There is also the more optimistic notion that places like Berea set a great example for how to thrive in good times and bad.