Every now and then a small thing happens to you that makes you reflect a little bit on the bigger picture of the present state of your life.
But before I go there, let me tell you a story from my youth – don’t worry, I’m pretty sure I can tie it all together in the end and maybe even make a point in the process.
One time a bunch of my buddies and I met at my place (OK my parent’s place as I was still living there at the time as we were all likely in our late teens), and we were having trouble deciding where to go to eat breakfast (likely the night after some party).
This happened quite a bit (like Friday nights downtown in some parking lot or Saturdays at Toro’s and then we’d just end up staying there playing pool and Space Invaders all night), so one of us was starting to lose patience with the realities of groupthink among young people and the consequences of decision-making, or lack thereof.
Anyway, we finally decided to go to the Green but not before that certain individual decided he’d had enough of this foolishness, once he knew where we were all going, and took off in his Firebird in a real huff. But not before I yelled out an appropriate and maybe even prophetic “Hey, slow down and live a little.”
The rest of us eventually made our way to the Green but not before we noticed some flashing lights and a certain Firebird pulled over by the side of 27th Street near Seaton School.
Ha. It was perfect.
If only he had listened to me, he wouldn’t have had to sheepishly walk into the restaurant a few minutes after us to giggles and ultimately hear about it for the rest of his life. Ahem.
Well, 40 years later, almost, and I have a new version of the slow down and live variety that, this time, involves yours truly. Take note, Don, er, guy in the Firebird.
I was driving my wife’s car and in a hurry to pick up something at a drug store in downtown Vernon, cause you know there’s only a certain amount of minutes in every day you know?
I was by myself but earlier I had been with my wife and we were in a hurry, as usual, because we were hosting Easter dinner the next day and there was lots to do you know.
But I’m not blaming my wife for what occurred next, let’s make that crystal clear, as it was all me.
I was actually wistfully looking at the old K&K Bookstore sign on an empty building across the street as I parked the Camry, got out of the car and made my way over to the parking meter to see if I needed to plug it, or maybe it was my lucky day and there was still time on the meter.
Actually maybe it was lucky that I had to put a quarter in cause it prompted me to think “well, I better check to see if I’ve got my keys too and check to see if I’ve locked my wife’s car or not.”
Gulp.
The keys were not in my pocket.
I plugged the meter and worked my way back to the car thinking how could I lose keys over a 12-foot, 12-second journey to the sidewalk?
Well not only had I not locked the car, I had left the keys in the ignition, and it was still running.
Oops. It’s the one time in my life I was glad I had to plug a meter to gather my thoughts, such as they were.
I couldn’t believe I’d just done that.
It was a sign from above, or Don somehow.
I gotta slow down a little.
Slow down and live, as someone wise once said many decades ago. Ahem.
