Summary:  Choosing to act on one’s dream was the easy part.  Handling the aftermath with his family was easier than he expected.  What more is there other than an epoch of a dream?
Rating:  G  (890 words)

Dreams Series:

Chasing Dreams
Epoch of a Dream

Epoch of a Dream

Epoch:

• A long period of time, especially one with new developments and great change. — Cambridge Dictionary
• Derived from the Ancient Greek word:  epochē. Eventually adopted into Classical Latin, ēpocha.  — Wiktionary

If June was the beginning of a hopeful summer, and July the juicy middle, August was suddenly feeling like the bitter end.  He’d felt the stirring of hope during his conversation with his youngest brother.  After pulling Joe into an uncharacteristic hug, the two settled the ashes in the fireplace to ensure they were dying down before heading for the stairs.  Each bid the other goodnight from their bedroom doorways.

Adam had finally announced his pending departure.  Other than the love of family, there was nothing else to keep him on the Ponderosa; even love had its limits.

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Adam was surprised that as hard as he pushed Joe during the past few months, his mercurial brother had not thrown a punch in retaliation nor turned his back and stormed away.  With this, Adam knew he could leave in good conscience.

But now that the announcement was made, it seemed so final.  Yes, Joe had understood and wished him well, hoping Adam’s dreams would one day return him to the Ponderosa. But if there was ever an inkling, the eldest somehow knew that when he bid the family goodbye, he’d be breaking their hearts.

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From his years in Boston, he knew how long it took correspondence to travel from one side of the country to another.  But now, he was thinking of traveling the world.  Sure, he could write to his family, but by the time they’d receive his letter and could mail one of their own… he’d probably be on to the next grand adventure.  He also knew from conversations held with his grandfather, where he stayed during his years at college, that many ships and all they were carrying — men and mail — were lost to the seas.  Where he would ultimately land was as much of a mystery to him as it was to his family.

It took him three days to pack all he wanted to take, or would need, into the steamer trunks and his valise.  Both of his brothers and a few of the long-time ranch hands had stopped by to offer a token for Adam to take on his journeys as a remembrance of them.  Hop Sing had stopped by many times offering suggestions on the proper care of his clothing to ensure the articles traveled well and lasted.

Though his brothers stated they understood, he could still see their puzzlement over his desire to leave.  The Ponderosa was all Hoss and Joe knew, so he couldn’t fault them for their love of the land.  Every visit ultimately became hours of reminiscing of the past, he knew they wanted to remember the good times.  Adam also understood how hard it was for them to say goodbye.  He acknowledged that, this time, it wasn’t easy for himself, either.

Thinking of years back, when he’d prepared to leave for college and to meet his maternal grandfather, he remembered the growing excitement as he packed.  All the advice Ben had given him about living in Boston.  This time, there weren’t many words of wisdom imparted.  Was that why this seemed so final?  After all, what guidance could a father give to a son who wasn’t sure where he was going?

Worry creased his brow now that the time was at hand.  He knew this was what he needed to do, but could he really do it?  Could he really say goodbye to all that he had known?  What would his family say if he asked for a few more days?

Through the opened window, he heard the grief in his father’s voice as he quietly called to the old hands who had wanted a few last minutes to say goodbye before heading out for the day.  From the barn he heard his brothers bantering, but it wasn’t the easy barrage between the two; Adam heard the tension he was putting there.

He turned to look into the room before closing the door one last time.  With the two trunks already loaded onto the wagon, the room that had been his since the second floor had been built looked sparse; not much to represent a lifetime of living.

Maybe that was what was drawing him away… the Ponderosa was his father’s dream.  He’d contributed significantly to its growth, but if truth be told, of late, his years at college felt a waste.  There was nothing on the Ponderosa that required such knowledge; the intricate logistics of structural design combined with the aesthetics of appearance during the construction of a building.   After all, the Ponderosa was nature at her grandest.  And then there were the stories of far-away lands he’d read, and discussed with his peers, during his English Literature classes.

Knowing he needed to bring his emotions under control, Adam finally accepted that his departure was no different than closing one book, only to begin reading another.  His life could be compared to the opening paragraph of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…*”

The End

Inspired by an August 2026 Pinecone Challenge:

If June was the beginning of a hopeful summer, and July the juicy middle, August was suddenly feeling like the bitter end.– Sarah Dessen

I know Adam never returned during the series, but I’d like to think that maybe he would have, especially after the events in the episode The Late Ben Cartwright, which inspired my 2014 story:  Much Too Soon.

*From Wikipedia:  In the U.S., A Tale of Two Cities is free of copyright restrictions and can be used without permission.