Travel with audio

When you drive 8-10 hours a day listening to some audio helps pass the time. Driving through many parts of the country is just not that interesting.

In the old days, we listened to music when we drove. I remember one trip it was "John Denver" and another "Blues Traveller". Alabama and Abba were other foci. Using the radio was not a priority, it was tapes or CDs.

Times have changed. Lately, we spend a lot of time listening to podcasts. Both Cindy and I listen to technology and educational technology content. There are several weekly presentations from the TWIT network we follow. The weekly shows probably we consume probably total hours 8 hours we and we mostly listen while in the car so we had several week's worth to catch up on. We try several education podcasts, but they just do not have the professional approach or new information of the TWIT shows. One of teacher chats a day is about the limit.

I listen to audible books daily, but Cindy is not generally a fan of my taste. She is not as interested in politics, spy novels or the works of Thomas Friedman. I did introduce her to a travel book I have enjoyed and I think she is hooked. My favorite "on the road" book is Philip Caputo's "The longest road". Caputo and his wife drive from Key West to the arctic circle in a small air stream. I have read the classic Kerouac's "On the road" and found it acceptable. I liked Least Heat-Moon's "Blue highways" better. The longest road is my favorite

I wonder just how great writers do what they do. I write a lot, but I don't usually work to find the details to draw the reader in. Caputo's writing is very descriptive and he offers great imagery and detailed conversations with interesting people. I can't say I have met anyone interesting yet, but everyone probably has a great story or two if you know how to draw them out. I marvel at how he remembers the details of their discussion. He makes no mention of recording conversations. These are not described as staged interviews so how does he generate the detail. Is it fair to recreate or must you have a tremendous memory.

It might be the same way with photography. Cindy and others like my pictures but complain that my images contain few people. Nice pictures, but not enough people. Nice prose, but not enough conversation. Maybe I am just not a people person.

[Paducah, Kentucky]