I went to Roadside America today in Shartlesville, PA .. if you look close at the photo posted you can see me holding my son Ayden underneath a large but miniature waterfall..
Everything at Roadside America is miniature. Towns, churches, trains.. waterfalls, farms.. The past.
And that was the striking part. The past celebrated.. the time of peace and prosperity in America seemingly celebrated as though it is long gone.
My wife may say, “Sure take a great day and analyze it.” So, as true to my pattern and habit, I will.
My wife Tara was a child attendee of Roadside America. My mom tells me I was as well, though I don’t really remember it.. Nonetheless, it would appear that nothing, absolutely nothing, has changed at Roadside America since it was created.. And speaking of when it was created: 1935 by Laurence Gieringer in Hamburg, Pennsylvania
When we arrived today, we were just in time for the artificial sunset over the artificial giant indoor town.. As the lights in the room slowly dimmed and finally went black, the wall was illuminated by a flowing American flag and a large portrait of Jesus Christ.. all the while “God Bless America,” the old version, Kate Smith style, filled the entire building.
I felt immediately like Dwight Eiseinhower was President, like people were scared of Martians and Commis.. I wondered, to myself of course, if this fake town had the problems of today? Did dad just read the newspaper while mom cooked? The kids playing somewhere outside not worrying about predators.. Because some think that the world of Roadside America was quaint and perfect.
I don’t.
I think it had just as many problems, many covered up and hidden away, tucked nicely into the closet along with the ghosts of race relations of the past…
I don’t say this because I didn’t like it there. Quite the opposite. I loved it. It was like a step back in time.. where I imagined just what was going on in each and every house, church, block.. farm house.. train.. trolley. Those days are gone. I loved the atmosphere and it all worked. Americana and Christian mixed together as though the founders intended it, though they really didn’t.
But what I really wondered was this: Will someone, like my son Ayden, think that the 21st Century is worthy of creating a brand new ‘world’s largest miniature’ indoor town?
And what will happen to one of the last vestiges of the 20th Century: Roadside America?
Before we left today, I dropped 50 cents into the player piano and Ayden happily moved his arms and danced to the ragtime music, while the town once again “went dark” to the sunset and Kate Smith played God bless America. Jesus was proudly on the wall again.
The past is gone.
The future is now.
And forever generations will debate as to who had it best.
And arguably, no one did.
