Travels through the USA

I am reading John Steinbeck's novel, or rather travelogue, Travels with Charley. Steinbeck decided to take a trip through the USA. He rigged out a truck with all possible necessities, food, clothing, writing materials, camping gear, a stove, just about everything one can imagine. He took his dog Charlie with him for company. Calling his truck Rocinante, the name of Don Quixote's horse, was an appropriate gesture. I am only half way through the book, but it seems to me that his book is not so much about the USA, as well as about himself, his feelings and emotions, his uncertainties, loneliness, homesickness and at times his fear. At the same time I am reading another book, by a Dutch historian, Geert Mak. It is called Reizen zonder John (Travels without John). Geert Mak decided to take the same trip 50 years after Steinbeck did his. Mak wanted to know how America had changed, and what is left of the American dream. The interesting thing for me is that I also went on a similar trip in autumn, although not covering as many states as the two writers did. Nevertheless my observations are not much different from Mak's. It struck me that the heart of many small towns, especially in the mid-west, are dead. The Main Streets are empty, shop windows boarded up, the once proud and imposing bank buildings abandoned, the centres lifeless. 

Former Bank building

If I compare what I saw now with what I saw some 20 years ago, I see a noticeable difference. Then any town would have a motel, now those typical motels are either for sale, boarded up or just left behind, sagging, the paint peeling, the veranda's broken. The many well-known chains of motels and hotels have taken over and are usually found on the outskirts of the towns, next to Walmart, eating places, and shops. Even the banks have moved out to those business centres.

Some towns are still thriving, but that is not generally the case. If a town is still lively, it is sometimes because artists have started living there and there is a bohemian atmosphere. Or a small town near a University campus may be kept alive by the students and their needs. But the hearts of many small towns have been cut out, unfortunately.

In the country it is sometimes even worse. There are churches everywhere, but not always enough people living near or around those churches to keep them open. The emptiness seems worse as most houses are built of wood, and wood can be used for fuel or many other purposes. So dwellings disappear, and often I could not even trace where a town had originally been located. There were just isolated churches.  I saw many sagging barns and abandoned farms and farmland given back to the wilderness and to nature.

 Abandoned houses and cars

A sagging barn