Travels with George #3

The first full day in Pittsfield. Boy did we use it. After a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel, we ventured out, visited the old high school, junior high, elementary school, and then tried to figure out how to talk to someone with the church. Physically sitting beside it, we learned it had merged with another UCC/Congregational church down the street a block or two. That means my historic old church was now used as a recreational facility and not a church. Shocked, I wondered what they did with the prized organ. Nothing is my bet. This church was my introduction to all choral music and appreciation for organ and instrumental music of all sorts. As well as that experience was, this church was the ground stone of my religious beliefs.

As we traveled other city byways, I found myself driving north toward Williamstown and North Adams. Williamstown you probably know is the home of Williams College, and also the Matthew Perry family. [Strange footnote on this, my brother’s best friend and best man at his wedding was John Bennet Perry, Matthew’s dad.] When we arrived in Williamstown, the place was alive with people everywhere. Their quaint downtown is picture perfect and very colonial.

Actually, everything here in the Berkshires is colonial. Houses remain amazing, quaint, some quite large, but all attractive, near the roadways, and immediately accessible. Same with most shops. Not stores and industries; those are more modern but hard to find. The roads are very squiggly, rarely straight. Ground growth - the greens - grow right up to the pavement. Trees also grow very near the edge of the roads. Woods everywhere. And hills. Everywhere hills.

During the day I became greatly aware of my recall. Names of people and places. Where things were and how to get there was tangible. Only got lost once! Music and dance cultures were always a thing here. What once was small, drama, is now quite large. Educational institutions and prized small liberal arts colleges remain a feature of the region, but high school, and early college education has progressed markedly. Training for the trades is now a high art. Helping people grow from within is very much in focus. This is an area that appreciates the fullness of personhood. The intellectual gifts of life are celebrated for and with everyone in mind. It is a very special place.

The Berkshires are favored by residents of Manhattan (150 miles away) and Boston (120 miles distant). The fall for colors, winter for skiing, spring for celebrating the end of winter, and summer for theater, Tanglewood, South Mountain music history, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Theater, and so much more attract a lot of tourists. The outdoors for camping, fishing, swimming and boating are a huge allure as well. For a special view of any of these, search them on YouTube. I did to prepare for our trip.

I remember mountains alive with fresh Aalea blooms, picking wild blueberries and raspberries. Camping in the woods and building tree forts in the woods were a special memory of my youth. Yes, Pittsfield and the Berkshires were important to me. They still are.

As I write this, goosebumps remain on my arms. This is so real to me. And permanent. Somehow that seems both normal and odd. Do others have similar experiences? Hmmm.

Well, that was day one in Pittsfield. Day two is covered in tomorrow’s blog posting.

November 17, 2030

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