At Campbell's Covered Bridge, off to the right as you're facing that old red structure, are the remnants of a road, almost covered over by trees on either side; they lean over, creating a tunnel-like view with a patch of light at the end.

You walk down that old road made of dirt, a little mud, scattered bits of gravel, and the occasional clump of grass. Once you reach that patch of light, the trail turns off to the right and up the hill. And the road ends, sort of.

As you get older, as the days of your life dwindle down, as you reflect on everything you know and the magnitude of all you don’t know and will never know, it’s easy to become nostalgic about the past. Today always seems more complicated than yesterday. We want to look back on a simpler time, without regard for the hardships of that time or the luxuries of this one.

I am in my 70s, with a personal history and an understanding of the world that make me feel quite justified in looking back into a past of simpler times as a welcome diversion.

Off Highway 14, eight miles outside of Landrum, situated in one of those areas that used to be what we called "out in the country," is an old covered bridge, the only remaining covered bridge in South Carolina.

The morning sun was already high in the sky. Rays of light blanketed the freshly mown grass, still twinkling with morning dew. Flanked by boulders placed there as a natural barrier for the parking area, a lone tree stood on the hilltop, it's red and orange leaves a compliment to the surrounding bushes and a wonderful contrast to the soft blur of the background trees.