Treasures At Home

On US 74, on the Sylva side of Balsam pass in Jackson County, NC, is an abandoned cabin that hundreds, maybe thousands of people pass every day and never see. It's about 80 yards off the highway, down in a ravine. By this time of year the vegetation is so thick that you can't see it unless you know just where to look. In the late fall and winter, however, it's plainly visible. That is, if you're looking.

I drive down this highway every day on my delivery route from Asheville to Murphy, NC. I probably passed it hundreds of times before I first noticed it. When I did, I couldn't believe I had never noticed it before. How could I have missed such a beautiful scene so many times? It's easy when you're driving 65 mph with your mind on other things.

There's no telling how much we miss in life because we're in too much of a hurry to notice. Why, I'll bet there's lots of interesting sights within 20 miles of your house that you've never visited before. Why? Because we're too busy, and in too much of a hurry to look. We dream of special vacation trips to another state, or another country, as if there's nothing worth seeing locally. Take a good, slow look around; you'll be surprised what's right in your own area. This is especially true for those of us lucky enough to live in the Appalachian mountains!

Let's face it folks, the price of gas is not going to get much below what it is now. But we who live in the Appalachians don't have to drive hundreds of miles to be able to enjoy something beautiful. It's right here in our own backyard, if we'll just slow down and look.