End of the Road (452 hits)
Category: UberMadness! EntryLabels: UberMadness
Rating: 1.2 on 12 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by AJ <ajcassidy221.at.yahoo.com> (View user info) at 2004-05-03 22:59:32 EDT
This post was an official UberMadness! entry. Click here to view the original matchup.
"On the road of life, there are passengers and there are drivers..."
He fucking hated that commercial. It hadn't been used in years, yet for some reason the almighty saw fit for him to remember a Dodge commercial. He paused for a moment and wondered, was he a passenger, or was he a driver? He liked to think that he was a driver, a motivator; the man. Of course, everyone has those illusions about their power and grandeur, so he was no exception. This was really bugging him.
It was just another day on the porch swatting flies and waving at the school buses as they drove by his house. The wheel wasn't on until four, so he hesitated and asked himself, "am I a passenger, or am I a driver?"
August 21, 1969. He came into life on Jeopardy Lane. Six weeks premature, he had managed to hack up a piece of his right lung with his first breath. He was 7 lbs. 10 oz., and 21 inches long. He also had a severe case of pneumonia, nearly fatal. He was in God's hands at this particular point in time, and the good lord got behind the wheel and drove him home to safety. He was not at the end of his road before getting out of park. He tried to remember his infancy, but realized that this was impossible. He knew, however, that infants are not really drivers. They look at life through their parents' perspective, high up and afar, with careful observation of the world around them.
August 21, 1976. He finally got his very own bike, and he desperately wanted to take the training wheels off. He begged and pleaded from below at his father, who was shedding a disconcerted glance first at him, and then at the bike. He hopped on the bike for the first time, freedom was his, even if Dad was hanging onto the seat the whole way. He was still the driver.
August 21, 1984. It was his birthday, and he wanted the Culture Club cassette, dammit! That's right, he said dammit. He was a man now, and he was man enough to fucking say shit about crap and the damn world that was just hell. His parents were just too bitchy's all. Must have something up their ass all the time. Wouldn't even let him have four friends over for his birthday. Life sucked. Why couldn't they let him go off on his own? He felt as if Dad was still holding the seat, "Don't go too fast, you'll crash." What did the old man know?
August 21, 1985. He was 16 now, and he wanted a Delorean. He didn't care how much they costed, he just wanted one. He did not get his Delorean, and he punched the wall, subsequently breaking his knuckles. The Festiva his parents got him was going to make him the biggest loser in school. He couldn't drive that to Soldier Field to see the Bears' second Super Bowl season run! He didn't know where he wanted to go, but he knew that he wanted to get there in style. Nobody knows what they want to do when they're 16, and he was no exception.
May 16, 1986. It was graduation day. He was going to go to Northwestern, and he smiled proudly as he held up that purple and silver sweatshirt for all the family to see. He greeted the last of his guests before heading off with a couple of friends in his awesome Festiva. Sure, he got laughed at, but the gas mileage was great. He was finally on his own, Dad had let go of the seat, and he was finally his own man. He still didn't know where he was going, but he knew that he was going to get there.
September 22, 1994. He was so nervous as he awaited her arrival. He thought she was not going to show up. He prayed for something, anything to speed this along. His Ford Taurus had the windows soaped and the cans tied on, but he could not drive away without a passenger. He could not leave without her. And there she was, beautiful as the day he had met her. He knew that his life was taking a turn, and that it was not just his journey anymore. He had an idea where he was going, and he had someone to read the map with him.
October 11, 1995. His son was brought into the world without a hitch, and he cried knowing that he was okay. It was the 90's now, and everyone was getting with the times, even the medical professionals that would take care of his baby boy. He had his own passenger to look after, much like his parents did him.
December 1, 2011. His father passed away. He was devastated. This was the man that held his seat for him, and showed him how to do the same for his son, who now had his own car. His son wanted a Dodge Viper. There was no fucking way he was going to buy him a Dodge Viper. He laughed as he realized the irony of how he had felt when he passed his son the keys to his very own Toyota Tercel wagon. It wasn't sexy or fast, but it could haul the groceries home, and that was the important thing. You had to learn to be a man, and that meant responsibility. He made a U-Turn back home, and knew that it was his duty to take care of his mother. She would not be forced to be alone. She was coming along for the trip.
May 14, 2013. His son graduated. He watched as his son donned the orange and blue of the Illinois Fighting Illini. He felt as if he had died a little inside, he hated the Illini, but he loved that his son was finally going to be his own driver. His son didn't know where he was going, but he knew his father was going to help him get there.
February 16, 2015. His mother died. He had not just hit a speed bump in his road of life, but felt as though his car rolled over three times and blew up. He had lost a passenger, despite the best safety belts he could provide.
July 3, 2018. His son was getting married to a beautiful girl. Her family was lovely as well, and he could not wait for grandchildren. It was lonely with just one person on the ride with him. He couldn't believe his son got married on July 3rd, nobody was going to want to have a barbecue the next day.
June 6, 2019. His first grandchild was brought into the world. A baby girl. They named her after his mother, and he knew that he would cherish her just as much. Two more grand-daughters were born for him in the next few years. He knew that their birthdays were just as important as the first, but how could anyone keep every single date straight?
November 12, 2033. The worst day of his life. His wife of 39 years had contracted colon cancer, and even with medical technology getting with the times, there was still no cure. The operation to remove the tumor from her descending colon failed, and she died on the table. He felt as if he had died himself, he wished that he had. His son was moving home to be near him and take care of him. He was no longer his own driver, but he didn't care. However much he felt he was in control, it mattered not. He didn't want the burden anymore, and was glad when his son offered to do for him what he had done for his mother.
February 21, 2038. Now. He sat on the front porch, lazily batting a fly with the loose, tangled mess that he called a flyswatter. He waved at his younger two grand-daughters as they pulled into the garage. It was almost time for the wheel, and they were going to watch it with him. He went into the living room, and sat on the couch. He had not reached the conclusion, whether he was a passenger or driver, but he didn't think he would ever know. He sat down in his armchair and watched the wheel. No, there's not a fucking "u." Jesus, why must people be so stupid? He smiled at his grand-daughters and reclined in his chair.
He was amused at his arrival from Jeopardy Lane to Easy Street. He had enjoyed this little trip down Memory Lane, and knew he had had a good run; put a lot of mileage on himself. He closed his eyes for the last time and thought to himself that it had been a hell of a ride, but it was the end of his road. He knew where he was going, and he wouldn't change how he got there for the world. He was home. He had reached his final destination.
User Reviews
Submitted by Method (user info) at 2006-03-08 09:44:52 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
http://www.ubersite.com/m/84852#1873081
Submitted by polyamorousaj (user info) at 2005-03-28 10:39:19 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Front page is slow today.
Submitted by HawkeyesTheGAME (user info) at 2004-10-23 19:08:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by eIectrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2004-10-23 19:02:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
I don't want to make a monkey out of you. Why should I take all the credit for the one thing you've done yourself?
Submitted by polly (user info) at 2004-07-13 19:48:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Genko (user info) at 2004-06-05 20:03:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I voted for this.
Fetish is a fag.
Submitted by youarsoghey (user info) at 2004-06-05 01:11:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Whoops, meant to give you a +2.
Submitted by youarsoghey (user info) at 2004-06-05 01:10:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by I_Have_a_Kristen_Fetish (user info) at 2004-06-04 17:37:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Sure did. Thanks AJ.
Submitted by polyamorousaj (user info) at 2004-06-04 17:20:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Fetish got his ratings back, eh?
Submitted by I_Have_a_Kristen_Fetish (user info) at 2004-06-04 16:57:20 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Submitted by polyamorousaj (user info) at 2004-06-04 14:16:45 (#)
Ranking: -2
No Comment
Submitted by ohlookasquirrel (user info) at 2004-05-16 17:43:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment