Home at last

It’s been a long fun ride. 2,839 miles, 60 gallons of gas. But did I find America?

I feel I did. The America I found talking to so many friendly people is full of people who are striving to be something more. From the teenager at Shiloh who had dreams of becoming an English teacher in a foreign land, to the musicians and producers in Nashville and Memphis, to Elvis, who given outlandish wealth first saw to the comfort of his parents, the best of America is about striving for something better.

But I also found evidence still of America’s original sin. The news was full of the events of police killings and revenge killings. And when a performer at the Grand Ole Oprey sang Over the Rainbow to express her sadness, she got heckled from the audience “that had better be about Texas!”

Every establishment I went into seemed to be either all white or all black. Different music, different churches, different restaurants, two races still segregated.

I think there is still hope, there is much to be said for the best of what makes America. But at some point we must acknowledge that black lives matter.