Picture 9/16: 1989 Kansas Road Map

September 16

(picture 259 of 365)

Many of you reading this blog did not know me back in my high school days.

So I need to bring you up to speed on something.

One of the things I collected was travel literature and road maps.  I would regularly call (or write) the tourism office of each U.S. state and have them send me visitor guides, attraction brochures, roadmaps, etc.  I had a large envelope for each state's stuff.

Every year, I'd drag this literature out to take with us on family vacations, plus I would even lend the envelopes to various people for their own travels.  Marsha the Postmaster was a "regular" of my "travel agency".

I don't remember exactly when it was, but at some point, I threw all that stuff away.  (I sure hope it went to a recycler, rather than to a landfill, 'cause there was a bunch of paper.)

Threw it all out except for 1 thing.

The state roadmaps.

I kept all of those and have actually used them quite regularly in the 2 decades since high school.

As I travel on business or family trips, I always try to pick up a new road map to replace the old one in my collection.

Dad and Mom have been helping with this little endeavor for years.

In fact, on their last trip out west, they picked me up a new roadmap for the State of Kansas.

When I went to my box of roadmaps, this is what I pulled out:

Look at the date on that thing.

1989.

I was a Freshman.

This was likely one of the very last "originals" still remaining in my collection.

It went into the recycle bin.

If someone at the recycling center spotted it, I wonder what they thought of it?  Something like, "wha-whaaaaat?" possibly?

Maybe it made their top ten list of weird things turned in for recycling.

A 25-year old Kansas roadmap turned in for recycling in the heart of Illinois.

What doofus was holding on to this thing?

Ummmmm..... me.

Out for now......

Matt