"I stood at the edge of our driveway, admiring the white rolling hills in the distance. People could associate the Dust Bowl and endless flatlands with Oklahoma. But I loved this place because of the open plains and odd weather. In the winter, everything died. A blanket of snow would fall and cover our little corner of the universe in white. In the spring, life would pop up beneath the dead of winter and green would overtake the pastures. Summer would bring rain and muggy weather. We’d barbeque and Grace would chase lightening bugs around the pastures. Fall would follow and change the color of the leaves. Then the cycle would begin all over again. That’s why I loved it here. Even though everything remained the same, it was always changing." (Excerpt 1500 Miles, Copyright Jessica Hansen)
When I first visited Oklahoma in the winter of 2009-2010, my experience was much like Abby's in 1500 Miles. I was more than a little disappointed when I arrived at the airport and was greeted by the blistering cold and gray clouds. I told my husband (who I was dating at the time) that I would never live in Oklahoma. I was unimpressed with the white blanket of snow that seemed to cover EVERYTHING. Being a Southern California girl, I wasn't used to the cold weather. I missed my 60-degree winter and longed to head home. But by the end of the trip (which I ended up extending because I refused to miss the arctic weather they were predicting), I was absolutely in love with Oklahoma. When I boarded my plane with a heavy heart after a two-and-a-half week stay, I knew I would return to Oklahoma one day and I would make it my home. And, eventually, I did.
When Jake is describing Oklahoma in the above excerpt, he's seeing all the beauty that it holds regardless of the season. It's a point I wanted to make perfectly clear when I was writing this story. Regardless of the season we find ourselves in, can we still see the beauty of the life we've been given? The answer is yes.
--Jessica
No comments:
Post a Comment