Day 16
Day 16--Saturday, May 16, 1992
What a wonderful day! I slept in a bit at the Commerce KOA (it
occurs to me that there may be those among you who don't know what a KOA
is. It's an acronym for Kampgrounds Of America; they're franchised
commercial campgrounds for those who aren't interested in roughing it...hot
and cold running water, electrical hookups, a general store, often a pool.
Mostly, one sees mostly older couples in ugly shorts and RVs at these
places.) and spent a warm spring day driving scenic country roads through
eastern Georgia.
The roadside attraction I had scheduled for today seemed an
interesting one and it certainly did not disappoint. Several years ago, a
Mr. R.G. Christian, a man unknown to the locals, walked into the offices of
one of the granite companies in Elberton, Ga. and commisioned some work.
He had a list of commandments (perhaps guidelines would be a more
appropriate word) that he wished to have inscribed on huge slabs of granite
and placed in a nearby field in a manner faintly reminiscent of
Stonehenge. The guidelines were to be transcribed into twelve languages:
English, Chinese, Arabic, Hebrew, Hindi, Spanish, Swahili, Russian and the
ancient languages Sanskrit, classical Greek, Babylonian cuneiform and
Egyptian heiroglyphics. In another slab imbedded in the ground beside the
structure, it is explained that Mr. Christian (a pseudonym) and other
concerned Americans had commisioned the work in hopes of ushering in an age
of reason.
And the guidelines? There are ten of them and they are, for the
most part, sensible suggestions. They urge a logical controlling of the
world's exploding population, a respect for nature, a common worldwide
language for the purpose of increased understanding among the peoples of
the world, a balancing of personal rights with social responsibilties and
the avoidance of petty and restrictive laws, among other things.
There is also an astronomical aspect to the monolithic structure:
a slot in the capstone is aligned so that the sun shines through every day
at noon, while a tunnel cut through the center piece marks the celestial
pole.
It's quite an intriguing sight, this structure some nineteen feet
tall sitting quite literally out in the middle of nowhere. You'll find no
information booth, no gift shop or snack bar; in fact, you'll likely be the
only one there.The mysterious, enigmatic Georgia Guide Stones are
definitely deserving of a BRETTnews Highlight Attraction award. Check'em
out if you're nearby.
Continue on the American Odyssey.
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