Wow--I hadn't posted since New Year's Day! Time flies!I'm finishing up reading a novel by an Oregon writer--All Together in One Place, by Jane Kirkpatrick. The story is set back in the mid-1800's, based on a true event that took place on the Oregon Trail.
This book has made me stop and think what it was like for the early settlers who moved here in wagons, on horseback, etc. Wow--I thought it was challenging when my family moved here from PA in mid-October! We had movers, vehicles, hotels, restaurants, bridges, interstates, and still it was a major undertaking. Reading this book so soon after our move has given me a real perspective on what these settlers must have gone through when they made their move out west.
Buzzing along in my Dodge Charger, I hadn't thought about what it would be like to cross a river with children, animals, wagons, etc., not to mention the number of rivers they crossed! I was nervous driving on some of the mountainous roads, but that was nothing compared to lowering wagons by ropes and pulleys! Many of them walked a good portion of the way, rode in wagons some of the time, or on animals when possible. Sometimes wagons were destroyed by storms, river crossings, etc.
They mentioned having to leave piles of their valuable possessions to lighten the load before mountain crossings. How hard that must have been. I had a hard time giving up possessions to lighten our load and find some things broken as we unpacked, but again, it was nothing like what they faced.
They lost loved ones along the way due to diseases, insect swarms, snake bites and accidents. Our biggest problems were my car breaking down and Tim's truck needing towed for repair.
We stopped along the way at rest areas, restaurants and hotels. Our predecessors had to make camp, constantly look for fresh water (or boil water), hunt for food, milk cows, find ways to bathe and take care of other physical needs (those and their children's and babies!), tend to the animals, cook over campfires, etc.
It's amazing to think how much life has changed in that relatively short period of 150+ years.
I'm reminded of the Scripture passage in Deuteronomy 32:7: "Read up on what happened before you were born; dig into the past, understand your roots. Ask your parents what it was like before you were born; ask the old-ones, they'll tell you a thing or two. " (see: thebiblein365.blogspot.com to see our church Bible reading plan and forum)
My kids are amazed when Tim and I tell them how, when we were kids, if you didn't see a movie while it was at the theater, you never got the chance to see it again unless it happened to come on TV at some point. We grew up without microwaves, computers, VCR's, DVD's, etc. Our parents would have a much longer list than ours!
As we look back, it gives us strength to see the way people have built on the accomplishments of others as well as learning from one another's mistakes. It also makes us appreciate many things that it's easy to take for granted--like washing machines and dishwashers! And it's great to realize how resilient the human spirit is--especially with God's help along the way!
