The sun blazed down on us, and the road seemed to stretch on forever. Last week we took a road trip to Tulsa to meet with family and celebrate my mom’s 80th birthday. As we drove across the Mojave, the road seemed to stretch out as far as the eye could see. Bounded on both sides of the road were rolling piles of sand and rock. Just ahead, it looked as though someone had taken a putty knife and smoothed out a pallet of sand up toward the undulating hills just on the horizon.
The hot desert road ahead looked like a gray ribbon placed on the tan, sage speckled landscape. It disappeared into a sharp point on the horizon and seemed to pierce the sky. The heavens were pouring out all over the road. The cool, watery blue sky had drained down into the otherwise hot and dry roadway, well beyond the horizon. It felt like if I kept driving, I would fall into the sky. It was uncanny! I had an incredible sense of power at that moment. I felt like we could rocket our way into the silvery blue pool of the celestial realm. I couldn’t help but wonder, how was this possible?
It turns out that an illusion like what I saw can occur when a hot surface like the road superheats the air just above it. The air becomes much hotter than the air just a few feet higher. This creates a steep temperature gradient — hot air below, cooler air above. Light travels faster in warmer, less dense air than in cooler air. As light rays from the sky travel downward and enter the hotter air near the road, they bend upward toward your eyes. This refraction is interpreted by our eyes as reflection, so I see the sky somehow pouring onto the road. Well, too bad. I was really hoping we could drive into that crystal blue oasis.
Instead of treading tracks on the celestial firmament, we eventually curved over the horizon and into “Holy Moses Wash”. If you have ever taken a trip across the country on Interstate 40, you will remember this surreal spot. It is located just south‑west of Kingman, Arizona. It’s massive and stark. It’s adorned with signature high desert rugged rocks and sun-scorched plants, but at a huge scale. The road climbs up the steep grades and curves around the enormous cliffs and boulders. Semi-tractor trailer trucks that previously seemed intimidating, now looked like matchbook cars from a kid’s playset.
Cars and trucks were slowly crawling like ants up the rusty red and burnt orange slopes. Towering above us, I noticed several precariously perched boulders — ten times the size of the cars below. It was humbling. I felt so small! The scene all around us was overwhelming and I couldn’t help but be awestruck in the moment. Holy Moses! It was incredible. I felt that wonder wash over me in a peaceful moment of reverence.
What an incredible shift in perspective! From a moment of significance of taking flight into the sky, to being brought back down to earth, in a moment of overwhelming humility. It occurs to me that life is just like that road. We drive along and discover wonders that raise our spirits and aspirations. We soar into the sky, drinking in the silvery milk of the heavens. Then at the next moment, we round the corner and are shaken to our core. Reality sets in and we realize how relatively small we are in the scheme of all things. It’s grounding. It’s comforting. And it’s utterly captivating.
Life has ups and downs. You never know what’s just ahead. It may be a rough patch, or a smooth one, but something different is on its way. Keep going. When it hands you a cup of silvery blue, dream into it. Drink it up and enjoy it. When it sets you in your place, be in awe and feast on the incredible and boundless nature of the universe. But no matter what, keep driving. There is more to come, just over the horizon.