Route 66-based story
written by OC,SH’s founder, inspired by his September 2009 Route 66 road trip

PERSONAL NOTE:
My vision for this was to loosely retrace my 2009 Route 66 road trip; however, deaths of several Route 66 people I met along my journey is making it difficult … their voids along the Mother Road keep me going back’n’forth between including them anyway or fondly remembering them. Those losses now include Laurel Richards Kane, who died this past Thursday, 01/28/2016, the 30th anniversary of the Challenger disaster. I am happy to have been able to call her a friend. She owned the Packard Museum at Afton Station OK & was a huge encourager of my writing back when I 1st started this story. As the plot now turns back to the brothers visiting relatives in Dwight IL & about to embark on their full-fledged Route 66 trip, this chapter is intentionally short & dedicated to Laurel Richards Kane…. RIP, my friend.

“Long ago, but not so very long ago,
The world was different, oh yes it was.
You settled down & you built a town & made it live,
And you watched it grow, it was your town.

Time goes by, time brings changes, you change too.
Nothing comes that you can’t handle so on you go.
You never see it coming, when the world caves in on you,
On your town, there’s nothing you can do.

Main street isn’t main street anymore.
Lights don’t shine as brightly as they shone before.
To tell the truth, lights don’t shine at all,
In our town.

Sun comes up each morning, just like it’s always done,
Get up, go to work, & start the day.
You open up for business, it’s never gonna come,
As the world roles by, a million miles away.

Main street isn’t main street, anymore.
No one seems to need us, like they did before.
It’s hard to find a reason left to stay,
But it’s our town, We love it anyway.
Come what may, it’s our town.”

CHAPTER 50: DEATH & PLANS

[Prior chapters HERE.]

That same day, while the shopkeeper was reminiscing, the brothers were feasting on breakfast at … where else!? … The Old Route 66 Family Restaurant in Dwight IL with their cousin & his wife. As they paid their check, a waitress told them a famed Route 66 character had died that morning. The eldest quickly made some calls, while the youngest & their cousin & his wife went to the tan 1976 Caprice Classic sedan to wait. Upon returning to the car, the eldest expressed hesitation in going ahead with their plans for the day, but the youngest reminded his older brother why they were taking this road trip. Without further discussion, the eldest got in, started the Caprice & headed towards some Route 66 landmarks north of Dwight IL … a perfect way to celebrate the life of a friend, mentor & Route 66 icon-ambassador-“roadie”….