My longest trip was from Tampa Florida to Lincoln Nebraska about the year 1965. It occurred in the winter. Our college student group traveled by train. I was looking forward to seeing snow for the first time, but saw only a few flakes when we changed trains in St. Louis. The transfer train was much older than the one on which we started our trip--everything about it looked old beginning with its brown exterior and domed top. Forever etched in my memory is a seemingly trivial thing. Upon boarding the train I sat down and looked up towards the ceiling of the train. It was dusk at the time and the ceiling lights were on. The passenger car had chandeliers attached to the ceiling directly above the aisle. The lights were curved like the bottom of a Jell-O mold and emitted uneven yellow light with varying lapses into dimness followed by surges of brightness. This trip was crammed with many sights and activities, and I find it odd that my brain should have locked upon this particular graphic above all others.
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