Last Thanksgiving, as we (the Williams family) were gathered around the table at the Blue Willow Inn enjoying our dinner, my dad talked about how my grandfather would rent a beach house in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, and make the drive down there, wife, kids, and all.

Back in his day, there were no Interstates, just the US and state routes such as the legendary US 41. The particular comment he made was how he'd drive all night to get everyone back to Atlanta in time for him to go to work and how hardcore he was about driving.

On the Memorial Day weekend of 1997, my dad and I went down to the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base to take a "tiger cruise" on my brother's sub, the USS Maine. That's a story in and of itself, but we sort of had the same deal where we had to be back to Atlanta. If I recall correctly, we left sometime around 9 PM and drove all night up I-95, I-16, and I-75. While my dad listened to a "book on tape", I pulled the "allnighter" by doing the driving. After that experience, my dad paid me one of the greatest compliments he ever paid me by dubbing me "The Road Warrior". :)

I'm no scientist, but these experiences have begun to make me wonder if my grandfather had roads in his DNA. If he did, then I feel honored and privileged that it got passed down to me.

I never really knew my grandfather for a long time (he died of a heart attack at age 65 and I was 10 at the time), but the few memories I do have of him during my early childhood in Snellville are those that I treasure. My siblings, cousins, and I knew him as "Papa" and today, my nieces and nephews know my dad as "Papa", so the honor has been passed down, in different ways, from my grandfather to my father (the "Papa" thing), and the "road DNA" got passed to me.

"Papa", thank you for the "road DNA". When I get to Heaven, I hope to be eternally crusing with you on their golden highways on the ultimate roadtrip. I know we'll have a great time doing so! :)

That's all for now. Thanks for reading and please come back again.

This column is dedicated to the memory of my grandfather, Frank "Papa" Williams (1909-1974).

        

 

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