Platform Station… What’s with the name?

It seems prudent to explain the name first. This has been a sort of mantra for me for about a year now. Last summer I took a risk and did something totally ridiculous. I researched RVs online for about 6 months, decided what my ideal was, and found one that needed some repair but was in alright condition. The ridiculous part was I flew out to southern California from Colorado, bought it and drove it home with every intention of living in it. Everyone one back home (and frankly the nice folks I bought it from) thought I was a bit daft and I was inclined to agree with them.

So what does this have to do with the name? While I have been fixing it up I realized I needed a name for it… On the day I realized this I couldn’t stop thinking about it and I wanted it to have real meaning for me. I know that sounds a bit stupid, to want great meaning out of the name for your crappy 1980’s RV that the roof leaks in and the 2″ shag carpeting is mustard yellow (among a long list of other “eccentricities”), but that’s what I was thinking…

I tried to put words to what this RV represents to me and what I’m hoping it allows me to do. I tried to express what that risk of being ridiculous meant, and what the feeling is that I have when I envision my journey with it… What I came up with is a combination of 2 ideas I carry with me.

The first is that I can’t think of a more exciting place to be than a platform. Things happen on platforms. It’s the busy area of a shipping yard: everything is checked in and out on the platform before it gets loaded or unloaded. It’s the fundamental principles of a political campaign. They are a basic accessory for women and drag queens alike.  And most importantly it’s where travel happens: He stood on the platform anxiously awaiting her arrival and that first kiss; She watched the figures of her parents grow smaller as the ship pulled away from the platform, They rushed down the platform to catch the train to the playoff game; He took one more look around the platform before boarding the ship to bounce into space.

The second is that a station is a place that is temporary. It’s transient and most travelers are either completely unaware of the people who occupy these spaces or they see their existence as lonely or sad… I have always been in love with these in between spaces. I always identify with these characters in a book or wonder who the TSA employees at the airport are, ect. I was the kid who felt bad for Santa because everyone was demanding stuff from him so I asked my dad for a mint we had from lunch and offered it to Santa… I was 6 or 7. I’ve always wanted to live in one of these places. This is what I look forward to most when I travel. I make a home out of the space in between and I get to step out of the flow and just observe. It’s quite satisfying and refreshing.

So that’s where the name came from…

~Duff

The namesake of this blog.
82′ Toyota Dolphin.