“You use a glass mirror to see your face, you use works of art to see your soul.” -George Bernard Shaw.
I leisurely drove through Vermont last week…Bennington, Manchester, Burlington, North Hero. I had escaped some bad weather in Connecticut and Massachusetts and my days in Vermont were sunny with wonderful springtime temperatures.
As I passed through Bennington,I remembered an earlier trip when I accidently found the gravesite of Robert Frost. I loved his epitaph, “I had a lover’s quarrel with the world.” Visitors before me had left coins or or small pebbles in tribute. I quickly wrote a note on a scrap of paper. “The woods are lovely , dark and deep but I have promises to keep. And miles to go before I sleep. Please help me to be a writer.” I carefully folded my request, placed it under a small stone, and smiled. I once heard there can exist a strong bond between the words of an author and the person who reads them. I have always felt a connection to Robert Frost and his poetry. I will always remember that moment in Bennington.
While I drove, I listened to beautiful music, and almost felt like I was in a movie. But the experience was not virtual reality. It was real. It was a travel adventure in which all my senses were rewarded. Like a painting, the world around me had color, texture, contrast, a range of values, and, most important, meaning. As I passed stone walls and lovely restored old buildings, my subconscious released lessons once learned in school. I understood more about the story of our country.
There were many quaint country stores and markets where visitors can buy maple syrup, pottery, cheese, furniture, candles, and crafts all made in the state. I enjoyed great food, wonderful bookstores, and lovely coffee shops.
The state is more than a place, it is a spirit. Vermont is and always has been a place of thoughtful action. I passed solar panels being used to make clean electricity and a sign that cautioned me to be careful not to harm turtles crossing the highway. In Burlington, I enjoyed talking to volunteers from Common Good Vermont, “a statewide organization dedicated to uniting and strengthening all of the mission organizations that serve the Green Mountain State.”
Vermont is a wonderful experience. It is a place of history and tradition. A state composed of a million shades of green, many lakes, and magnificent mountains.
Art is anything that brings about a response. For me, Vermont was an experience of pure joy. Vermont is a work of art.
Copyright 2018@ The Autonomous Travler
The Autonomous Traveler 
You paint a beautiful image with words.
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Well written, nice photography 🌲
Sent from my iPad
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Very nice image of Vermont. Always look on the bright side of Life! You really should be a freelance writer for a magazine, a community paper, whatever, no need to wish to be a writer any longer ~ you already ARE a great writer. Just need to reach a wider audience. Country Life magazine and many others would love your pieces! Good Thoughts ~ Good Acts ~ Good Work!
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Deborah, People like you give me the motivation to keep writing. I will look into Country Life. This summer I will write from my journal about my 2001 70 day, 7000 mile solo trip across the US and Canada What do you think of the title, “A Menopausal Odyssey”? It was a time of transition and a lot of whining and finally acceptance. I was 52 at the time and dealing with the first shocks of the inevitable physical and psychological change in my life.
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I like a coming of age odyssey better, but it’s your piece so if you choose what you like. I prefer transitional only because it’s less limiting. Some might not read it thinking it’s only for women when in fact your insights are not gender specific. Anyone who’s lucky enough to grow old in the first place, is capable of these new found awareness’s. I remember going crazy and feeling all the same feelings! I think they are universal, however, when you write about them so eloquently, they remind us all we are not alone, and then loneliness is understood and overcome and we finally bathe in the now fulfilled, if that makes any sense lol It’s all good and I know I’ll enjoy reading anything you write! Stay Happy Always!!
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Thanks for your input. I had the same concerns. Searching for a title that feels right. Haven’t got there yet.
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Joyce, I so enjoyed your pics and thoughtful comments in this piece. It reminded me of the beautiful, vivid, springtime going on here too in northern New York! The best season of the year! At least in my view… (-:
Thanks again for sharing your most excellent writing with us!
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Thanks. Leslie. I am going to do some more posts about our wonderful North Country in the next few days and weeks.
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Joyce, Your words and photographs are proof of your connection with Mr. Robert Frost and to me as descriptive as my true love Earnest Hemingway. I felt your freedom through your words. Your pictures moved me and lightened the heaviness of my present mood. Thank you once again.
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Thanks, Tammy. I need to read some Hemingway. I wish you happiness on this dreary day. Message me if you need to talk. “The sun will come out tomorrow!”
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