Meeting Ms Roxy

A Story by Lane Craver

Short Memory of visiting unknown relatives

It was summer, I was seventeen, and my mom talked me into visiting relatives in Tacoma Washington. I remember I was listening to my walkman playing Metallica's Garage Day Tape cassette over and over, mixed with a little air guitar at times.. We drove to the woods and up to a beautiful house nestled in the trees. I was a little nervous, since I had never met these relatives before, and the home we were staying at was a cousin's of my moms, though I don't believe she had met them before. Her true goal was to meet with Aunt Roxy, whom she had not seen for a long time.

My little brother came with us, and he was seven, ten years younger than me. He definitely was becoming a much cooler kid by then. Hanging out with old people was nothing new to me for I was used to hanging out with my grandparents and their friends and family. I still was at a loss for conversation though.

Roxy showed up either that night or the next day and I sat down with her for my mom had to deal with my little brother who needed something... So I asked this cool relative of mine, that I really knew nothing about, "So what was it like when you were young?"

Never did I expect this answer, "Well when I was a little girl, " she starts, "We walked up the Oregon trail to come live in the great NW"

Now I have heard about the Oregon Trail from my school. It was the history lesson about how the settlers progress west to escape the burdens of east coast life and the southern life of the wild cowboy days. To stake a claim, for a bright new future, in a newly discovered territory of the great NW.

So I made a comment to continue the conversation, for this actually caught my interest. "Well at least you got to ride in the wagon, since you were a kid and all."

She looks at me with a puzzled look, "No we mostly walked, occasionally we got to ride a horse, but for the most part we walked the entire way."

Now this just didn't seem right, so I said, "You mean they didn't let you ride in the wagon? But you were just a kid."

She starts laughing a bit by now, and says "We didn't ride in the wagon because you could lose your life in the back of one of these things. You got to understand, All our possessions were in the back of the wagon, with pots and pans hanging from the frame to dry from being washed after a meal.. It was much too dangerous to ride back there. So we walked."

It was fascinating to find out that walking was the primary mode of transportation back then. Horses were a luxury that few could afford. And the small space of the back of a wagon was the only room allowed for everything a family owned, mixed with supplies that would sustain them on the journey. Little kids and all journeyed up from California to climb the mountains of the great Cascades.

I was very thankful for my mom to drag me with her to meet these relatives I have never met before. It was such an honor to have actually met someone who was a part of our American History. We will miss Roxy and all of Gpa and Gma's relatives. People are amazing, and have all kinds of tales to tell... you just have to ask.

-Lane Craver