A Much Larger World

Growing up as an isolated child of Appalachia, I knew little about the larger world around me until my three much older brothers enlisted in the Army and Air Force. By the time I was 5 they were college graduates; by the time I was 6 the Korean War was on, and by the time I turned 8 all three had enlisted or been drafted. My Mama never did crying 'fits' like other women were prone to do when children left home because she kept her emotions tightly in rein, but when each of the three left for military service I saw her real tears and felt her worry in an intense way.

Their college degrees allowed each of them to serve the military in other ways besides battle. They traveled extensively in Europe and other places with their military assignments. As they traveled each of them remembered us back home and sent many dolls, clothing, and toys from each country they visited. What a thrill it was to receive a package from them at least once or twice each year!  On furloughs they came home with slide shows for the family and neighbors as well.  We made a screen out of an old sheet hung on the side of our house and placed lawn chairs in a semi-circle around it. During these outdoor summer slide shows I got to hear stories about the countries they visited, their people, customs, foods and interests. These slide shows were the only world geography lessons I ever remember receiving.  School had given me US geography and pictures of our national parks, but no facts about other countries overseas.

Eventually my brothers returned home, then moved away to take jobs in other cities, and got married.  Occasionally, there would be some conversation about their military experience or how their current job connected to what they did in the military, but I don't remember us talking much about their European travels after that.  Once back in the US they took new vacations and traveled a lot with their new work. The conversation now was about those trips.  

Within ten years of their return from the military I also was ready to leave the nest and my Appalachian home. By this point my father had died so I chose a college within two hours of home and visited Mama as often as I could.  I married a week after graduation and moved away to new cities beyond Appalachia. I always felt proud of my roots, my Appalachia, and the experiences I had in the mountains.

As I look back on choices my husband and I have made for ourselves and our sons I now can see the enormous impact of my brother's travels on my life.  For as long as I can remember, I have longed to see a much larger world than where I lived at the time.  Our first child had his first birthday celebration on the road and now works in the travel industry. The second son has done service projects all over the world. During our summer, Christmas, and spring breaks we were in an airplane or car headed for a new adventure. Now in retirement I struggle to get to all the wonders still awaiting me before I become too old to travel.

Mama never understood my love for travel and preferred I spend my free time all with her.  I did the best I could to balance my own wandering side and her need to stay in the same place.  A long time ago I remember one of my brother's saying that our father had wanted to travel and move away from Appalachia when he was a newlywed, but Mama refused to leave her birthplace. While this was a sad story shared only with my brother, I have kept it close to my heart. I know that he made a choice to stay home.  Perhaps he was able to survive and to get his travel needs met through the slide shows, the stories, and the gifts from foreign countries just like I was. I think there will always be a piece of my father and my brothers that travels with me wherever my husband, my kids, and my grandchildren roam. The influence of my brothers travel, the outdoor slide shows, the conversations about countries far away, and my father's desires to travel has had a powerful impact on my life.  Daily I'm thankful for their gift of wanting to see a larger world.