Wednesday 26 March 2008

and we're back together

It's been a couple days since I posted, and do you want to know why? I have been driving all the time. There's nothing like recovering something you lost to make you appreciate it. I recall the mysterious disappearence of my Hot Wheels racer when I was eight or so. It wasn't my favorite toy, until I lost it. Then, suddenly, I had to find it. I hunted everywhere for it (which to a child means under my bed and in my closet and behind the couch in the living room), and whined to my parents (they told me to pipe down) and accused my brother of stealing it (he punched me) and was generally miserable for about a week, which is a long time for an eight year old. And then gradually I forgot about it, and went back to playing with dinosaurs and American Civil War soldiers (there were some mightly unlikely reconstructions, I tell you. Pickett's Charge with Stegosaurus support. General Grant leading a troop of giant T-Rex.)
A month or so later the Hot Wheels racer turned up in the basement, and I wept with joy. Couldn't get enough of it. I lived with the thing, brought it to meals, slept next to it. My parents were concerned. But they were smart enough to wait, and in time (say ... a week) I got used to having the Hot Wheels racer back in my life, and began to ignore it again.
So with the car. Give me time, and I will go back to taking it for granted. But for now I am in the bliss of a second honeymoon.
One other reason I spend so much time in the car is that I am driving slower. Much slower. Student drivers are passing me. Old men in hats are passing me. I wave at them as they speed by, several kilometres per hour over the posted limit.
Reckless, that's what they are.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Welcome back to the driving public my friend.

I got a speeding ticket (a bit fast on the 401) about 2 weeks before the new law came into effect so that would not have been good... commuting with someone else would not have been fun.

Anonymous said...

I have a kindergarten daycare kid who writes stories about Hot Wheels. The sentences go like this: "No big hot wheels allowed. Yes big hot wheels allowed. No big hot wheels allowed. Yes big hot wheels allowed."

I have to write this out for him as he tells me.

Anonymous said...

Richard,

Let the geezers pass
by your metal bumper
Beats the men in blue
and a ticket thumper

You're back on track
and we're happy for ya
Let your 401 be
a right lane runnah.

**
Best I can do on a Sunday night when I should be doing work prep...

Now you just need the beach boys tunes blazing in the background "...little deuce coupe..|


best,
Susan

Richard Scrimger said...

All these best wishes -- so nice! Thanks. Personally, I can identify most clearly with the undecided kindergarten kid. RS