Carol and I have a great time while traveling. In 1988, while driving from Joplin, Mo., to Albuquerque, N.M., we decided to stop for the night in Shamrock, Texas, which is about halfway. The problem was that we had our elderly pet dog, Ginger, with us. It was a cold night, and we wanted to keep the old girl warm.
When I checked in at the front desk and I asked about our pet, the man gave me a card with this information.
DOGS ARE WELCOME IN THIS MOTEL
We have never had a dog that smoked in bed and set fire to the blankets. We have never had a dog that stole our towels, played the TV too loud, or had a fight with his traveling companion.
We have never had a dog that got drunk and broke up the furniture. So if your dog can vouch for you, YOU are welcome, too.
-- B/W Irish Inn - Shamrock, Texas
The Irish Inn is owned by the Best Western Hotel chain, we've never forgotten them, and I still have that 34-year-old card.
On a trip in 2018, returning from a trip through the northeast of the USA, we stayed for two nights in Cahokia RV Parque, Mo. – within a 15-minute drive from the St. Louis Arch. When I asked the owner if there was a bus that could take us to the Arch and back, he said, "Yes. My car is the bus, and I'm the driver. When do you want to go?"
We could hardly believe it! "Would 9 in the morning be convenient?"
"Our office opens at 10, but you get yourselves here at 9, and we'll go. Traffic should have let up by then."
The man gave us a quick tour of that part of the city, dropped us off where tour buses line up, and said, "Call when you want to come home." His RV park became our home whenever we needed to stop near St. Louis.
On a trip in 2019, we planned to stop for the night in Deming, N.M., at Little Vineyard RV Park. In making the reservation by phone, we told them we would arrive late and leave early the next morning. The manager very kindly said, "If we're not here, just slip the money in an envelope under the door, or mail it to us after you leave. We trust you."
We don't meet people like that very often any more, and it's refreshing to know there are still loving people here in the world. (We did get there early enough to pay it on site.)
This is another kind of visit. One day in 1979 when I was stopped by an Oklahoma State Patrolman for having an expired license plate on my car, he and I got into a friendly discussion. At one point I said, "Ever since I was a kid, we called policemen "cops." Why were they called cops?"
The Trooper replied, "Although 'cop' originally meant to catch, grab, or capture -- and therefore to arrest someone -- we now say Cop is a respectful title and is short for Constable on Patrol." I told him that I deeply appreciate law enforcement and what they do for us.
We discussed his training and my vocation, and after seven or eight minutes sitting in the patrol car, the Trooper said, "I'm not going to ticket you. Just go get that license taken care of. Okay?"
"Yes, sir!" was my prompt reply.
I wasn't trying in any way to butter him up -- as the old phrase goes -- but just enjoying life. And the Trooper enjoyed talking with someone who actually respected him and his profession. We owe a huge debt of gratitude for those who put their lives on the line while trying to keep us safe.
Friends, a lot of our society has turned away from a healthy, godly lifestyle, but we can't afford to let that get us down. Keep in mind that there are a lot of good people out there, and you need to be one of them. Instead of whining and complaining about the state of our world – and it is getting bad – we need to make our part of society a better place.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV) says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths."
-- S. Eugene Linzey is an author, mentor, and speaker. Send comments and questions to [email protected]. Visit his web site at www.genelinzey.com. The opinions expressed are those of the author.