When I was a kid, one of the things I used to do with my folks for fun was take a car ride. Sometimes we had a specific destination, like going to visit relatives or a farm for fresh goods, but more times than not we were just out for a ride. It was wonderful to get out of the house, out of the neighborhood and hit the road. Going up old Route 66 as a kid was an adventure. In my childhood, a lot of it was farmland and forest preserves. Sadly, that is no longer the case, but it’s still a nice ride.
Since my siblings are all much older than myself, the car ride would be just my folks and I. They would be listening to their favorite music which is how I came to be a lounge lizard. They would have on the Rat Pack and other great artists from that time period. My dad would always be singing along, but mom joined in from time to time. I would just stare out the window, taking in the music and the sense of freedom of being on the road. My dad always liked to stop for a cheeseburger somewhere. Back in the day, Cock Robin was the place to go, but we would hit up McDonald’s or White Castle as well. He had a passion and I was obliged to join in the ritual.
That’s when car backseat windows would actually roll down all the way and I would love to stick my head out of the window. I enjoyed the breeze flowing through my curly hair and of course, I would do that thing with my hand riding the air current, up and down, riding the waves and thinking I was just so cool for doing so. When the weather wouldn’t allow for such fun, I used my vivid imagination. I would sit very, very still and it was my thought that if I was still enough, the people in passing cars would think I was a mannequin. If they were driving along side of us, I would be still for a long time and then suddenly move in hopes of freaking them out, because you know, they thought I was a mannequin at first, right? Yeah, I was a strange kid…still am.
When I was old enough to drive a car myself, I’d take rides just for fun as well. Amazing how I would find my way home because I am known for not having a good sense of direction. Somehow I managed to drive out to such exotic locations like Long Grove, Lake Zurich and even further to the Renaissance Faire without the use of a GPS, because they didn’t exist yet. How wonderful it was to go for a drive on a sunny day, windows open, blowing my hair every which way and getting a sunburn on one arm. I would be cranking my own tunes then which was 80’s music. I never could remember the names of songs or artists, but I would get so jazzed when a song came on that I liked. What a sense of freedom, to be on the road and living life large.
When I became a single mom, little road trips were our form of entertainment as well. I’m certain my sons remember the trips out to the country and forest preserves, but they are more likely to recall me saying, “I think we’re on another adventure.” which was my way of saying, I was lost. My youngest would roll his eyes as he said, “Not again!” To which I assured him that I had always managed to find my way home before. I just needed to find a major road. My sense of direction is so bad, I can drive for miles before realizing I am probably going the wrong way. However, I eventually figure things out and turn around. I realized later in life, that this was in fact how I was living. Fortunately, I have learned to turn around sooner than later, even without a GPS.
As my children aged, I spent more and more time alone with my dad. The tradition of us taking a ride, just for fun or to go visit relatives became a good way for me to get him out of the house. We discovered the Arboretum was common ground for us. We could slowly drive along the roads through the woods with the windows down and enjoy some classical music together. We really never had a lot to talk about, so this was a nice way of spending time together and just be. Sometimes my dad would get out of the car and walk a bit, but as he aged it became harder and harder for him to do. Us driving through the arboretum gave him the opportunity to still get out and enjoy nature without the struggle of walking. Once again, my dad always wanted to stop for a cheeseburger. No more Cock Robins, so we’d hit Culver’s as well as the other main stays of McDonald’s and White Castle.
With what is going on with the world right now, all I am doing is going to work (thankful to be considered essential) and picking up some groceries. I still head out along old Route 66 to get my water jugs filled at a store out west. There’s not a lot of them, but there are still forest preserves that I pass through. Instead of enjoying the landscape, I look for some of the homes I admire, especially the MCM ones. Driving home, the sun came out and it was just warm enough for me to have the car windows down. I enjoyed having my hair whip around my face as I listened to some classic rock on the radio. Somehow, I felt dad was with me, along for the ride. I thought about stopping at Culver’s for a cheeseburger, but I have plenty of food at home, so I took a pass.
As I drove past someone mowing their lawn for the first time this year, the smell of fresh cut grass took me back to a time and place where all I had to do was sit in the back seat and enjoy the ride. I miss those days, the freedom of not having weight of the world on my shoulders. However, due to my vivid imagination, I will always manage to have my head sticking out of the window, my hand riding the wind and a cheeseburger in my future. And maybe, just maybe I’ll freak someone out by suddenly moving just when they were convinced that I was a mannequin. Psych!
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