It is another Monday again. The days are speeding by us. Tick, tick, I hear the clock. Wait a minute life don't let the sand slide through the hour glass quite so fast. But thank-you God I am alive today. Lets see what I do with it.
In April of 2003 I had been saving my money and seen in the paper where some people had a red convertible for sale. Oh I had always wanted a red convertible. The answer to a dream. So I had my husband take me to see it. We pulled onto their street and halfway down the block you could see it in the driveway. Sun shining down through the trees. Sparkling off the shiny red body. The top was down. Right then on the spot I fell in love with that car. Every inch of it, down to its fours tires. I felt wonderful driving it. It made me feel good. The only little thing I didn't bother telling anyone was that for months I had been having trouble seeing to drive. Just a small piece of information I had kept to myself. I had nerve damage to my eyes and was not aware to what existent. So to make a long story much shorter. Aren't you proud of me? By November of that year I had to give up driving. I was never to drive again. I sold my beloved little car. And faced the terrible truth that my days behind the wheel was over. Not news I took very well. But after time I become more able to handle it. Sometimes you just have to face what you have to face. But losing the freedom of just jumping in the car and going to do what you need to get done is very difficult. Especially when you know that freedom will never be yours again.
Two years ago my husband bought a brand new riding lawn mower. Guess the color, yes it was bright shiny apple red. I watched him ride around the yard with envy. The sun beating down on his head, just like when I had my convertible. I wanted to ride that mower, I wanted it badly. After watching him mowing a couple of weeks, I told him I wanted to ride it, try it out. "Well," he said we'll have to move everything out of the way so you won't hit anything." So we did. I drove around the house smiling, around and around. Just like a little kid. "Look at me, I can drive." It went very well I thought It was so much fun. Once again I had a steering wheel in my hands. I was totally thrilled.
The next week when he got the mower out, I came out to sit and watch. After he was done I asked. "Can I drive it again." So once again everything was moved out of the way. I drove around and around. But the complete time my eyes were on the fence and the big gate in the back. The big gate that led to freedom.
"Let me drive down the alley," I pleaded. "Just down the alley, I will stay right in the middle." He looked doubtful. "You have to careful," he said very serious. "You could hit some thing. Stay right in this block." I nodded back. "Oh yes I know," I said. "Just right in this block. He opened the gate. I drove out, straining against the sunlight to be able to make things out clearly. I drove up and down, up and down. Then on about my third trip I got to the end of the alley at eighth and I peered at what lie ahead. Another block, another alley. It led to busy seventh street. I looked to the right, it seemed no cars. I looked to the left, the same there. I looked behind me, He wasn't there. I gunned the motor and off I flew I crossed the street, seeing maybe half of what lay before me and that blurry. The wind blew in my face. The sun beat down on my head. Freedom, freedom at last. I laughed. I was driving, all alone. The steering wheel in my hands. I was in control. I did have enough sense that when I got to seventh I turned around and started back.
When I got back to eighth I looked both ways and carefully crossed. I looked ahead. What was that in the alley? It was moving, it had arms. It was flagging the arms around wildly. The it had words coming out of it's mouth. I strained to hear. It was my husband. "What are you doing ?" he screamed. Scream is the descriptive word here. "You could have been killed." He had the gate wide open. "Get that in the yard," he said. He didn't ask please. "That's it," he fumed. "You are grounded, you can never drive again." I pulled in and cut the engine. My glory days had ended almost as fast as they started. But for just a few minutes I was driving. I pretended I was back in my little red convertible. I am here to tell you it was great!
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