Train Rides

As a little girl, I rode the train with my mother to Philadelphia, PA, to live with my mother's sister, Aunt Alvenia. A year later, I rode the train to return to Screven, Georgia.

About fifteen (15) years later, when I was in college, I rode the train to and from my hometown (Screven, Georgia) to Raleigh, NC. I will always remember riding the coach on the Siler Metor with my professor and other students from Saint Augustine's University—it was Saint Augustine's College back then.

Then, many years later, I rode the Amtrak to New York City with two of my friends. We stayed in the first-class section and had a bed with meals served. I was like, "Wow. What a different experience."

Several years back, my Red Hatters and I rode the Amtrak to Richmond, VA, just to have lunch and return home. Some of them had never ridden a train, so we did it just because we could.

Then, my daughter, Nneka Barnes, and I rode the train to Montreal, Canada, with friends from Saint John's Episcopal Church. That was an extraordinarily satisfying and wonderful trip. I remembered some of those French lessons I took in high school and college.

This weekend, my granddaughter Tatiyana Miles, my great-grandson Baby Huey, and I rode the train to Philadelphia to participate in my granddaughter Khiarah Miles-Williams' White Coat Ceremony.

This train ride brought back many memories -- mostly good ones aof fun times. Philly did the same thing. I think I will ride the train back up there, explore my old neighborhood, and do some sightseeing.

Many things have changed on the trains in Philadelphia, and I have changed. However, a lot of things remained the same, and I remembered how much I loved riding on the train.

Khiarah Miles-Williams and Tatiyana Miles, thank you for giving me this trip and during my birthday month celebration. You young women helped make November a special time in my life.

Hey, family, maybe we can all get together and go on a train ride to NOWHERE to celebrate life—just because we can. LOL (Lots of Love)!