West Virginia, Arkansas, Florida, English as a second language

As we plan our overnight trip to West Virginia I am a little saddened by the fact that it may be one of our last trips there. After twenty eight years of traveling to and from the state, we may have very little reason to make the trip again after our son’s orthodontist appointments are finished.
Most of the travels we have done were to visit family. Rarely did we go just to see something in a particular location; it was almost always with the intent of seeing someone. It still is. But, sadly, most all of our family is moving out of West Virginia and though we still have good friends as well as extended family there, none are as close as family. Lots of people we love but are not close to.
When we moved away from Kansas City, Missouri many years ago we left friends behind that I am sure we will never see again this side of Heaven. I am afraid the same is going to be true of West Virginia. The thought is a little depressing, but such is life in our very mobile society.
For now our focus is on Arkansas (our children are there) and Florida (our grandchildren are there). I should probably add Texas to the mix since my parents are still there, but we do not make it there very often and being the child is not nearly as much fun as being the parent or grandparent.
Last night we were practicing some songs to be done in ensemble for the Youth Conference later this month. One of these is an older Southern Gospel song that has a fun play on words in the chorus which is telling about the rapture.
“I’m gonna let the glory roll when the roll is called in Glory.
I’m gonna get beside of myself when I get beside of my King that day.
I’m gonna have the time of my life when the time of my life is over.
I’m gonna get carried away when I get carried away.”
I realized the Korean man that often leads our choir, but was singing tenor with the ensemble was really confused by the words. I explained that “letting the glory roll” is shouting with excitement, “getting beside myself” is being so excited or overjoyed that I feel like by body cannot contain it all. Having the “time of my life” is an unexpected joy in an activity, like the best thing that a person can ever remember participating in. Getting “carried away” explains what happens when two children start out gently rolling a ball back and forth between them and end up kicking it as hard as they can, breaking lamps and light fixtures; because they got too carried away.
“English”, he smiled, “is a very difficult second language.”
“Yea, sometimes it’s hard to get a grip.”