DAVIDSON

From page A4

was only a short drive away.

It just so happened that I had a former pastor, whose name was Marlin Howe, who had a brother who lived in the area, and he picked me up at the airport and provided lodging and transportation to and from the conference.

When I left home, I had no idea about the great experience for which I was in store.

It turns out that my former pastor’s father was reared by the Amish in Lancaster. Because of my schedule I had an extra day in the area, so my host drove me over to Lancaster. We went through Philadelphia, the city that has more of our nation’s history than any other city in our country. I got to see the Liberty Bell, and Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were signed. We also saw where the Philadelphia Phillies play baseball, and Liberty Stadium where the Army-Navy football game is played each year. We also stopped by the Valley Forge Cemetery, which is quite famous. Lancaster is a historic and unique town, and Amish women are great cooks. We enjoyed a delicious meal at one of their many famous restaurants.

Now, back to Loren’s bed story, and what made it so special for me. Since our age difference is only a couple of years, the odds are very good that Loren and his wife Kitty were swapping bed sides when I visited Lancaster.

Small world. I share these things because we have such a great country. Get out and see more of it when you can.

Jim Davidson is an author, public speaker, syndicated columnist, and Founder of the Bookcase for Every Child project. Since its inception in the Log Cabin Democrat in 1995, Jim’s column has been self- syndicated in over 375 newspapers in 35 states.