On Our Way to Beautiful [antikvár]

On Our Way to beautiful When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful then the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for he also is flesh. —Genesis 6:1-3 Once a year I make the drive back to my hometown of Shreve-port, Louisiana. My journey begins as the sun rises over our nation's capital. Before long I'm moving through smaller cities that claim tobacco and the Confederate flag as symbols of pride, wondering how long it will be before the smell of factory smoke is replaced by the fertile aroma of livestock and chicken flocks. Then the narrow roads begin to unwind—hugged on either side by pastures, cows, horses, and shacks—and so too does my mind. As I ramble down bumpy paths, I stumble over the memory of a day spent fishing in a nearby bayou with my uncles, and the familiar smells of rank armpits and beer overwhelm my senses. Later, I see shiny pumps and a black veil waiting on top of an aging quilt and hear children running in bare feet.