"Making it Home"
"Making it home" tells of a soldier making his way home after the war. As he walks through town after town he remembers his experiences, his friends who were lost, and the lands they destroyed during his time in the war. He remembers his enemies, though he never considered them in that way. They were doing the exact same thing he was: following orders and staying alive. As he gets further from his past life and closer to a new beginning, he begins re-setting his mind to thinking like a civilian. He no longer needed to study people or land as things to destroy. People were simply living their lives in this land. There was no more war, no more killing, no more destruction.
He gets closer and closer to his home and as he does he begins to get nervous, wondering how people will view him now that he was a soldier. However, his worries fade as he remembers with, a happy heart, his family and what they might be doing at that time.
Soon his house comes into view and he is able to watch his father and brother plowing the field. His nephew follows close behind. Peace begins to settle on him and he realizes that his fear of thinking about people as a soldier is leaving him. His family comes closer to him and finally see him in the distance. With joy they stop and run to him, shaking his hand and welcoming him home. The soldier was finally home with those he loved.
This was a very short story and seemed to lack a point, as all the stories have so far. I read online that Wendell Berry's stories have plots "as thin as fence posts". However, despite that lack of plot the story is very nice to read. It's a pleasing and relaxing story. Berry's descriptions of the country are beautiful and poetic.
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