Memory Machine!

So, what’s one to say, it’s winter and many of us have at this point, put our vintage trailers away for the season only to in the back of our minds think about spring and how we look into our side view mirrors seeing that shiny aluminum Airstream trailing along behind us. My sister Sherry and I have a long-standing joke (She calls it a joke, I call it harassment), every time she spots an Airstream going down the road, she’ll call me and ask, “Was that you I saw going down the road?” By now, she knows full well what I use to pull my trailer down the road and I know full well by now she’s just calling to get my goat, but we always have a good laugh about it. But, it makes me wonder whom is that lucky person getting to use their Airstream when I am not able to use mine (is that by choice or chance, I hope to someday figure that out).

My family and I were very lucky this past Christmas/New Year. We once again went down to Myrtle Beach, SC for a week. During that week, after many times of Sherry telling us she would join us on different trips, she finally made it and boy was it special. Virginia turned seven years old that week and was totally surprise to see her Aunt Sherry. Sherry has one of those mini-vans that has a table, cooler, bed, etc… she had planned to sleep in while camping with us. After getting up Sunday morning, preaching two services at her church, driving 9 hours with her little dog, the only thing she really wanted was to get a good nights sleep. That was not to happen. Of course, Virginia just “had” to sleep in this little van with Sherry, which only had room for one person. Needless to say, Sherry looked like she needed sleep more on Monday morning than she did Sunday night, but Virginia’s smile looked better because she knew, she had Aunt Sherry for the next two days and boy did they have fun.

Funny how these little trailers allow us the chance to go out and do things and be with folks, friends and family creating memories that will last our lifetime. I know some of the best memories I have in my life are while using our Airstream, spending time with people I care about. It’s sad that many of us have to put the “Memory Machines” away for the winter, watch them get covered with snow and ice, wondering if there’s an unknown leak or frozen pipe that we will find out about when the weather starts to warm. But in some ways it’s like Christmas every spring. In the spring we get to “unwrap” the gift that we have been blessed with and get the chance to once again use that gift which helps create those memories we look so forward to making and know we will remember until our passing. I often wonder if heaven has “full-hookups” or “dry-camping”? I guess that’s the ultimate definition of “full-timing”.

Until Next Time,

Paul Waddell

Region 2 VAC Guy