I’m going to lean on an old cliche (pretend the line over the e is there, I cannot figure out how to add that) here, but how are we already halfway through July? Time is weird. Pretty sure that’s the next Hawking book title. July 15, 2015, or for my buddies overseas, 15 July, 2015, has arrived. 15/7/15 does look cooler. Like a date sandwich.
My town has erupted in summer construction projects. One lane highways, cone zones, completely ripped up roads. That is an incredibly fun process to watch slowly unfold. One day there’s a perfectly damaged section of pavement and the next day there are heavy machines tamping down dirt where the pot-hole ridden pavement once laid. To avoid construction and the ensuing congestion folks are finding very creative ways to get through town. It is like water in a brook finding the path of least resistance and winding its way through a valley.
I got to one such driver take their Toyota Corolla for a nice little tour the other day.
Today’s Tale: The Wandering Wonder
Corollas are every where. In this town you drive a silver Honda SUV or a Toyota Corolla (color is your choice, you individual you). The ability to blend, to sit in the middle of a crowd and go unnoticed; to simply be among the many without being bothered, that was the allure of this vehicle. The driver sits nodding her head. Her hair is pulled into a tight bun atop her head and she holds the wheel at 10 and 2, just as she learned decades before.
She’s listening to NPR and the delightful voices of the Morning Edition anchors. She could care less about the current events segments, but adores the human interest portions. She’s nodding her head right now and holding back tears during a heartwarming story of a teenager that just did not give up in the face of adversity. The story will be a TV movie before long, she’s sure of it.
She spent her 20s as flight attendant. Her wanderlust was immense and flying around the world seemed the best way to sate it. She heard fantastic stories and forged friendships that will last the rest of her life. Like any one working in a customer service role though, she felt herself becoming jaded and disillusioned with the very passengers she loved to help. She gave up the sky and came back to earth by her 30th birthday. Now she is happy to blend in, instead of walking the center aisle, and enjoy her fellow people.
That was seven years ago. She’s been traveling and wandering by more terrestrial means since. She does not live here, the car is a rental. A Hertz license frame surrounds the soon to expire plate and there are no personal items in site. All she really needs is a radio and a road though. That’s all she’s ever needed, stories and a path.
She’s in town for a mid summer wedding of a friend she first met as a coach class passenger in 2004. The two sat and talked for hours. So many tiny alcohol bottles went unserved on that flight. As soon as the two friends landed they added each other to their MySpace Top 10s and have not stopped talking.
The driver is now cruising around town taking in the sites and sounds and smells of a place she’s never been. She’s a wanderer. Rented cars, week long hotel bookings and the Expedia app are her way of life. And she’s happy for it.
Thanks for reading!
You should download my free horror story from Amazon. The price goes to 99 cents this Saturday, so move fast! And tell your friends, your family, your mortal enemies even. The books is so close to the top of its categories so close. Your help getting there is greatly appreaciated!
Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0115QNDTM
The characters even find themselves on a highway at one point. Relevant.
Shawn Writes Stuff 