Did you ever wonder...?

As you drive down the roadways of this country, have you ever seen something on the side of the road that gives you pause?

Maybe it’s a set of the old Barbasol signs that someone has installed on fence poles. Or a roadside building that looks “unique.” Or maybe it’s something as simple as a memorial to an accident.

On Interstate 40, about 20 miles east of Kingman, AZ, there is a roadside cross. It’s made out of steel tubing, and metal plating, so it was installed by someone who wants it to stand for a long time.

As you can see from the photo below, a lot of thought went into it’s construction.  Who was Norm Halawith? We know what he did for a living.  He drove one of those cars/trucks that escorts oversized loads down the highway.

This stretch of I-40 is straight, with an uphill climb.  How did he happen to have an accident here? We can assume that he died on this hill.  Someone cares what happened.  The clearance flags hanging on the cross are changed every time the sun fades and rots them away, so he is not forgotten.

Another 2 miles up the road is a truck stop.  Maybe one of the employees remembers what happened.

Every time I travel this stretch of highway, or any other highway for that matter, I wonder about what I see.

For every roadside memorial, or roadside market, historic marker, oddball building, etc, there is a story.  Have you ever wondered what that story was?

As you travel this great country during Summer Vacation this year, take time to stop and learn about things you see.  It’s part of the American experience. Don’t be in too much of a hurry to get where you’re going that you miss out on the journey.

Oh, and if you find out what happened to Norm, let me know!