Bob Seger sang a line in his song Against the Wind that says, “it seems like yesterday but it was long ago.” That one line fits Todd County memories better than anything I have ever heard. One moment I am sitting here today, and the next I am daydreaming that I am back on a gravel road with the sun sinking low and life still simple.
It seems like yesterday when my sisters and I were riding on the tailgate to town, looking backward down the road while Grandpa eased along at his own pace. No rush. No noise except the soft hum of the tires. We held on and watched the world drift behind us.
It seems like yesterday when a grapevine hung from a big oak in some Kentucky hollow and a running start made you feel like you had real wings. Kids cheering from the hillside. Nothing but air underneath you. That feeling stayed with you long after the swing slowed down.
It seems like yesterday when Freddy had that maroon Mustang under the shade tree and we were working on the points, plugs, and a stubborn carb. Back when a cold beer and a radio playing the Eagles or Bob Seger were all you needed to keep the afternoon going.
And it seems like yesterday when someone special was in the passenger seat during a slow ride down a Todd County backroad. Windows down. Night air brushing in. Your heart beating a little quicker because you were young and the world felt wide open. A quiet song on the radio. A hand close enough to touch. That kind of moment stays with you long after the road bends away.
It seems like yesterday when a bunch of us teenagers were being pulled across a snowy road on an upside down hood behind a four wheel drive truck. Snow flying. Laughing until it hurt. Just another Todd County adventure that cost nothing and meant everything.
It seems like yesterday when we circled the square just to see who was out. When we ended up at the Dairy Dip with Lucy handing us a burger, never imagining that one day she would not be there at the window waiting with that familiar smile.
It seems like yesterday, but it was long ago. And before you realize it, life has already handed you more last times than first ones.
The last time you hug your mom without realizing it
The last late night drive down a Todd County backroad with your best friend before life sends you in different directions
The last time you circle the dip just to see who is out
The last time you walk out of Todd Central as a senior
The last time you laugh until you cry with the people you thought would always be around
The last time you walk into a place in town that always felt like home
The last time you sat on a porch swing with the old folks, before they passed on
The last time you pass a barn or field or gravel road that once belonged to your family
The last time you wave at someone who has known you your whole life
The last time the world around you still looks the way it did when you were growing up
You will not know it is the last time. It will feel like any other day until it is not.
Todd County has changed and so have we, but that line from Against the Wind still hits hard. Seems like yesterday but it was long ago. The past still holds my heart, and I am grateful for the people who shared it with me and for those who are still here today.