THERE'S NOTHING TO COMPARE

I love the ritual of boarding in the early morning light.
The sound of suitcases hitting the bins and the smell of coconut shampoo,
hand lotion and damp hair as fellow travelers move up and down the aisles, bumping those already seated with carry-on bags,
searching for friends and calling final goodbyes out bus windows to host families.
Find a seat, make it your own and soon you’re
telling tall tales born of last night’s experiences.
Morning people chatter while sleep deprived souls are already drifting back into slumber.
Each day the same…each day different…another day on tour.
Turn the page…as Bob Seger so aptly put it in a song by the same name.
There’s miles of yellow lines to follow and mystery lunches to eat
before we again showcase our God-given talents.
Pillow people settling in.
And looking around…you spy the greatest show on earth…people.
(cue the calliope)
On or off the bus, in the churches, homes, malls,
and streets of unfamiliar towns and cities,
people are the one thing you can’t anticipate…second-guess or prepare for.
They are the face on the body of touring.
The challenge is to capture their hearts…one person, one family, one church…at a time.
Continental tour…there’s just nothing to compare.

Wes Turner
Continentals/New Hope 1962-72