Be A Tumbleweed

The title comes from a nickname for my wife who, when not running her home staging business, tends to behave like those dry shrubs blowing around the prairies. She has the ability to shut off the analytical part of her brain at will and relax completely - something I admire and wish I could do. I have been trying for years to learn that skill and can at times hit the zone for a while. Retirement has helped me do that more often.

A recent Sunday afternoon was one of those times. With my wife away for the weekend I was looking for something to do as it was 95 degrees, humid, and windy. I decided to retreat to the air conditioning in my car and take a meandering drive. For me that’s a big leap into Tumbleweed-land. Since retiring, taking aimless drives has become a source of fun for me. It exercises my vehicle, gives me something to do, and lets me do 2 things I enjoy: drive fast on the not-so-crowded highways (no I will not be disclosing my route, officer) and explore areas I am not familiar with. It’s fun to turn onto an as yet untraveled rural road and see where it takes you. Yes, there are a lot of such areas in NJ!

On this particular trip I had a quest to hit the highway for a while (gotta get my speed fix) then wend my way through back roads to a historic pub for lunch and a couple of pints – at the bar! The key to doing this in the way of the Tumbleweed is to forgo any GPS or other navigational assistance. I know some of you shuddered at the thought, but try it, it’s fun.

While I normally have a good sense of direction there are times when the compass in my brain short circuits and I wind up thinking backwards when it comes to N/S/E/W. On a drive like this, that adds to the adventure. My internal compass held up this time but my sense of where I was relative to where I wanted to get to was way off – and those pints weren’t yet calling loud enough to guide me directly there. As this was a ramble, I was just enjoying seeing things I had not yet seen, and all the rural scenery. Eventually I landed in familiar territory and could hear the pints calling me.

Arriving at the pub I easily found a seat at the bar – in the air conditioning. First thing I noticed was that the numerous taps usually adorned with a handle indicating the beer held inside were bare. Not a good sign as the draw of this place, besides the food & history, is the extensive beer selection. I went with it and got a pint while I decided whether to stay or move on after a quick beer. Seeing the smoked brisket hash on the brunch menu made my decision easy. This Tumbleweed thing was going to be tasty!

As I contemplated my next beer, an employee came in behind the bar and grabbed a couple of brightly colored cans from the fridge to bring to a nearby table. Turns out he was the bar manager – and beer meister - and we got to talking. As we talked about the cans he held, and his excitement about being able to fill up those empty taps again, he poured my beer and grabbed another of those cans for me to try, on him (thanks Manny!). While it was not my style of beer, it was a delicious dessert beer. Gotta try new things when you are in the Land.

Had I been on a mission to get right to my destination I would have missed that encounter, the fun conversation, and a new beer. By rolling with the journey I was in the right place at the right time. And that is the moral of this story.

There are several sayings that cover this philosophy: my favorite is a lyric from a friend’s song: “Sit back, relax, and let the Tradewinds blow”. Good things happen when you open yourself up to them, so let out your inner Tumbleweed and enjoy the journey. Mine ended with beer and brisket, what’s awaiting you?

Here are links to the pub, and our friend’s website for those of you who are curious:

http://www.thestirlinghotel.com/

https://samsimsmusic.com/