Maps and Lions

Maps and Lions

Noel Laflin

2-25-18

There was a mural-size map of the United States in the bedroom of my youth. My father had gotten it from Congressman Utt, way back in the early '50's. He placed it dead center on the wall facing the bunk beds my brother and I shared. It was framed in knotty pine paneling.

The map was so old that Alaska and Hawaii were still shown as territories of the U.S.

Being young of eye, I could see the small print of even the tiniest of towns and hamlets quite clearly. The giant outline of the Louisiana Purchase looked like a lion and sometimes steered my dreams as it was the last thing that caught my eye as I drifted off to sleep. It then greeted me as first light of morning broke in through the old bedroom window facing Flower Street.

When an addition to the house was completed, Bobby and I moved into the new, cooler room so that our grandmother could have the map room.

Grandma was ancient and frail, frequently leaving the house in her old fashioned clothes, wandering until lost, but always returned safely home by friendly policeman.

She suffered a number of strokes and died not long after her stay with us.

As she only spoke Norwegian, I never did think to ask her how she liked my old bedroom.

But I bet she loved that map and the lion.