Hang On - Part Two
History repeats itself, just not exactly.
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.
Want to read more by Route 24? Follow along on Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn for the latest updates.
In this issue: ‘Tis the season for holiday gatherings! With the year end rush, the story endings poll didn’t receive many responses from last week, albeit one which favored endings with infinite possibilities. One of my favorite holiday reads explores endings with infinite possibilities: The Sun’s Francis Pharcellus Church 1897 philosophical response to Virginia’s inquiry about the existence of Santa Claus. 127 years later it is still the most reprinted editorial ever to run in an English language newspaper.
Hang On
I asked my audience what they were in the mood to read. Something funny? Something reflective? A bit of both? 67% answered both! Hang On is the result. A story inspired by Notre Dame’s restoration, it’s a holiday read about the bumps in the road and the destinations they lead to. This is Hang On - Part Two.
In case you missed it last week, stop by Hang On - Part One first:
Jolted
Once bitten and twice shy... It was the worst holiday ear worm to have. I keep my distance but you still catch my... A yellow road sign caught Cam’s eye. DIP. She could barely make out its words through the dense snow. Had she missed her exit? Cam checked the dash. The fuel light was on. Fifteen miles to go. She was old school. She’d always preferred printed maps to GPS. Cam held the folded map in her right hand, steering with her left. The highlighter she’d used to find the best route was parked between her teeth. Just as she found her balance, the front end of her Honda Civic nosedived. A dip in the road. Ooh-whoa! She’d meant to pump the clutch but her snow boot slipped and she hit the brakes. Hard. Cam was too jolted to scream. Her car skidded backwards, tires reeling. She ditched the map and the highlighter fell onto the driver’s seat. Don’t panic. Eyes closed, she released her grip on the wheel. Resist the urge to overcorrect. Her car spun in circles clockwise and stopped cold. Tell me baby, do you recognize me... Cam opened her eyes. In front of her Honda Civic, a stag stood fixated by its headlights.
By the time she pulled into the Mobil station, Cam looked the way she felt. She’d forgotten to eat again. That happened on work trips. Snow rested on blinking red-and-blue neon letters. OPEN. A comforting blanket of heat greeted her as she stepped inside. The station was in need of repairs, but it had the character of a different era. Like a soda shop from the 60's, with swivel stools and glass jars of candies stacked on shelves. Smells of coffee and peppermint oil wafted through the air. By the register, an older woman sat wearing a navy shawl wrapped around her shoulders, her gray hair woven into a long braid. Her eyes smiled and her nose crinkled when she greeted Cam. Call me Virginia. Settling at one of the stools, Cam ordered a coffee and a grilled cheese. What was her story? Virginia’s station had been a rest stop for community organizers during the Civil Rights Movement. History repeats itself, just not exactly. Virginia wanted her station to still be a place where past and present could come together in service of a better future.
An hour later, Cam pulled into a crowded parking lot. A guy wearing a Santa hat and a sweatshirt with Santa crapping on a toilet stood next to a free parking sign and told her she could park there for $5. Funny. The party buzzed with a mix of booze, business, and bros. Wham! A guy carrying Liquid Death bumped into her at the bar. She went with red wine and picked a spot where she could scan the room. She was there to pitch. Ah, Ah! That song again. Only this time it paired with dancing AI Santa. A sign of the times. Cam downed her glass. Game on.
**Stop by next week for Hang On - Part Three**
However you’re able to help fuel Route 24’s work and mission, thank you for coming along for the ride!
Stay the course,
Sam
Enjoying Route 24? Consider restacking this post or cross-posting your favorite Route 24 read on your stack to jumpstart the conversation and help us build this community.
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.