Digging to China

In 1961 I lived on a sprawling albeit defunct turkey farm. There were four distinct fields surrounding our three homes, all owned by my grandfather Frank. He lived in one house, his sister in another, while mom and dad lived in the third.

One day, curiously, I started digging a hole in the gravel driveway that led to Frank’s house. I have no idea why. I had confiscated a shovel and just put it to use. I dug for maybe ten minutes and then quit. The next day I went out and dug for another ten minutes. By the end of the week, I had a significant hole. My hole had not escaped Frank’s notice, but he did not stop my progress or tell my mom and dad.

A few days later, I was busily slinging rocks and dirt when Frank came up the driveway in his black '58 Chevy wagon. I stepped out of the way, and he stopped and said, “you’ll never get to China that way!” And he then drove the remaining road to his garage, and I dropped my shovel and went home to think it over.

“China!” Dad had said many times “think of those starving children in China” when I did not want to eat my dinner. And I thought, “Can I really get to China by digging?” I saw a comic book where Superman tunneled through the earth and came out of other side. It must be possible. And so it went, day after day, my hole was getting wider and deeper, closer to China!

A few warm summers nights later, Mom and Dad and Frank and Margaret, my grandmother, and I were sitting outside after dinner and eating watermelon – Frank salted his. With watermelon juice dripping from my chin, I looked at Frank and asked, “How long do you think it will take me to get there?”

Frank said, “get where?”

I said, “to China”

As Frank started a second slice, he looked at me and chortled, “well, it is going to take your whole life the way you’re going about it.”

Dad and Mom just looked at each other, oblivious to the exchange of words, amused by their starry-eyed little boy.

I skipped digging my hole for a few days. When I did return, the hole had been filled, and the shovel had been hidden.

I grew up and one day learned about antipodes. I learned that I would have missed China and landed in the middle of the Indian Ocean.