Hang On - Part One
It's going to be a bumpy ride.
Route 24 is your civic education stop for stories driving public trust.
SCENIC ROUTE parks in your inbox on Sundays to merge the lanes of realistic fiction and politics and help you find a better view.
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Route 24’s Navigators Circle attempts to solve for persistent cognitive biases by jumpstarting deeper conversations. When policies alone may fail to change course, let stories be your guide.
In this issue: It’s almost the end of the year, which means it’s the season for holiday stories. This week I asked my audience what they were in the mood to read. Something funny? Something reflective? A bit of both? 67% asked for both.
Hang On
This week I kick off Hang On - Part One, a story inspired by Notre Dame’s restoration about the bumps in the road and the destinations they lead to. Here goes…
Deer in Headlights
Are you paying attention? The attendant was wedged in the door jamb of Cam’s rental, leaning across her as she sat in the driver’s seat. Snow fell in sheets around them. It would be hard to see a clear path up ahead. She’d needed a refresher course. Her high school boyfriend had taught her to drive stick in the parking lot of a Dairy Queen, but that was sixteen years ago. The attendant yelled instructions between gusts of wind. Clutch! Shift! Release! Clutch! Shift! Release! You got it? But with every gesture he made, the attendant’s armpit parked in her face. She could smell his putrid B.O. through his down jacket. Impressive.
If she held her coffee directly under her nose, this driving lesson could become bearable. She tried to reach for her cup, but as she pulled it toward her face, the attendant’s gesturing arm made contact. A collision of epic proportions. Coffee flowed like a river down her face, neck, and winter coat, saturating her blouse. She met the attendant’s gaze. Deer in headlights. She’d volunteered for this trip. Cam wiped the coffee from her eyes. Everything felt sticky. It was going to be a bumpy ride.
**Stop by Route 24 next week for Hang On - Part Two.**
Whenever I start a story, I try to map out where I want it to end. What do you think makes for the best story endings? Use the poll to share your input and I’ll share the results next week.
As always, thanks for being here!
Stay the course,
Sam
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Call for Submissions: If you work on an initiative that also works to restore public trust and want to be featured in Route 24’s Starter Pack on Bluesky, please reach out. The deadline to submit is Wednesday, December 11th.
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