a.d. elliott - Take the Back Roads

 Dear Henry, Previously, I mentioned the nun that directed me toward the Catholic church , but I never touched on why I felt the need to seek God in the first place. It's a much longer story. I've already disclosed that my parents, Team BK, led atypical lives that placed me in a sphere outside of the area's religion and decent, conventional behavior. As a result, I struggled to find my way, especially during my teenage and young adult years.  People say that God will never give you a life without giving you the tools to get through it, and while it took me a while to realize it, I was given some fantastic gifts. I have an innate sense of direction and generally know which way is north, even indoors. I can also "see" light, a talent I use in photography , and finally, I love reading. I found my way through books.  *Side note: I owe an outstanding debt to my dad - my mother's second husband - for my ability to take advantage of these gifts. He taught me to read ...

Dear Henry, During the move from Tulsa to Roanoke , I did "something" that caused a red flag in the financial world and required me to make a personal appearance at my bank to "verify my identity." Unfortunately, with so many banks moving to online services, there aren't that many physical branches of my bank left. The closest one is Washington, DC, and, in a great hurry to clear this all up, I began to schedule my very first road trip out of Roanoke. Taking the train to the big city for some banking felt like such an adult adventure, and I felt like I was the heroine of my own children's storybook, even though I knew, deep down, that this was just a pain in the ass. The train was far less fun than it sounded. The ride started at six in the morning. After alighting Amtrak's Northeast Regional at the beautiful Union Station, I began the mile or so trek up 2nd Ave to my bank next to Seward Square. A few blocks into the walk, I found myself in front of a sm...