Around the Bend (779 hits)
Category: GeneralRating: 1.8 on 27 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Crystle (View user info) at 2006-09-19 13:40:23 EDT
As a child, the most exciting part of life was the road trips. I was young enough that I didn't pay attention to my parents planning that happened before the trips, so for me it was always a bit of a surprise. In the middle of a random day, seemingly out of nowhere, Mom would start making us pack. She'd tell us how many days we had to pack for, but not where we were going or how long it would take to get there. That evening, we'd cram all the bags, toys, reading materials, doggy necessities, bikes, and a million other miscellaneous things we "had to have" into our van.
Early the next morning, before the sun rose, I'd be shaken awake and half carried out to the van. In the days before the seat-belt laws were in effect, we'd open our sleeping bags and lay them out on the floors and benches of the van, crawl in and fall back to sleep.
I still remember feeling the warmth from the engine radiate through the ribbed floor mats, and the soothing vibrations shaking the whole van, which served to lull me back to sleep. The low murmur of my parents' voices was barely audible over the blanket of white noise provided by the huge old engine, the mixed effect being somehow comforting in the way an old favorite blanket is.
Eventually, I'd wake up, climb up on the bench, buckle myself in and try to figure out where we were. I'd stare out the window looking for familiar landmarks ahead thinking "maybe I'll see something I know just around the bend." It was kind of a game I'd play with myself, seeing how long I could go before my own curiosity drove me to ask "Where are we? Where are we going? How long 'til we get there?" I'm sure the questioning drove my parents crazy.
As I grew older, I'd recognize more features of the routes we often took, so I could better judge without asking how far into the trip we were. But I still always found myself playing guessing games about what the next landmark we were approaching was. "Over the next hill, we'll see the King City Exit - that means we're halfway to Grandpa's house."
I also started watching other cars on the road, trying to figure out when we'd pass them. With my dad driving, it was inevitable that we'd pass the majority of the cars on the road. The big trucks were easiest to judge. They tended to be fairly consistent in rate, and to stay on the far right lane, so I'd be able to pick a sign post I thought we'd pass them at...and apparently, I'm fairly bad at judging distance. Usually I was wrong, we'd not have passed the truck by the time we reached my chosen sign post. My brothers were much more accurate with their guesses.
I still get the same feeling at times, but it's not always as fun. Wrapped in the protective cocoon of the family van, with the noise, the comfort, the familiarity, and overall, the trust I had that Dad wasn't going to get lost, it was easy to enjoy the feeling of anticipation about what was on the road ahead.
Now, all grown up and living on my own, sometimes it isn't so easy to look at the road in life I've taken, and anticipate what might be around the bend for me. Trials and unexpected circumstances have a way of changing things. I spent a few years dreading the next thing life would throw at me, but recently I begun to feel I've conquered most of what can happen. I've lived through it, and even been true to myself through it, which to me is more important than merely getting through.
I make the choices, and the road is unfamiliar. Never having been here before, I don't have any idea what is next. I can look at the lives of my friends, family, and people around me and take a guess at what might be around the bend, but there is never a certainty about it. However, knowing what is behind me, I'm pretty excited about whatever comes next. I'm at a place where good things are coming, and I'm much better at guessing now then I was when I was 10.
I've certainly had plenty of difficulties to overcome, but for now, despite not knowing, I'm happily looking forward to whatever is around the next bend.
User Reviews
Submitted by ArnieGeddon (user info) at 2008-04-08 20:19:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by jigglypuff (user info) at 2008-04-08 19:50:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
No Comment
Submitted by ShapeShifter (user info) at 2007-08-30 17:26:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by wookie (user info) at 2007-06-06 13:44:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
http://www.ubersite.com/m/59040
Submitted by Yozz (user info) at 2007-06-06 13:27:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Timmaaaaah (user info) at 2006-11-15 08:34:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I have come for you!!!
I am the Brit of your dreams.
lalaalalalalalalalalalalalalalalaa
Puppy power......................
how u doin' ;)
Submitted by creep_firebombing (user info) at 2006-09-20 06:00:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by paint_it_black (user info) at 2006-09-20 04:00:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I DONT GETS IT
FIRST IT WAS ALL ABOUT GOING ON A TRIP AND THEN THE ENDING SUCKED
TOO BAD
Submitted by w_t_a_y_s_t_r_m (user info) at 2006-09-20 03:43:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by I_love_Kracka (user info) at 2006-09-19 22:49:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by coley (user info) at 2006-09-19 20:46:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
INTROSPECTIVE POST SEPTEMBER
IPS is now a NEW UBER TREND
Submitted by Orgasmatron (user info) at 2006-09-19 17:58:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I'd like to come around your bend.
Submitted by Kracka (user info) at 2006-09-19 17:47:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
i love not knowing what's going to happen next.
Submitted by Magicaddict (user info) at 2006-09-19 16:47:51 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I'm fucked.
Submitted by apollo88 (user info) at 2006-09-19 15:37:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
that's rich coming from king vagina below.
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2006-09-19 15:35:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I didn't know who wrote this when I judged it, but of one thing, I was certain - the writer had a vagina.
That was the only real problem I had with it - try to make it less....vagina-y.
Submitted by apollo88 (user info) at 2006-09-19 15:24:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
lovely.
when we used to go on road trips to france/spain i'd love it when it rained.
i would always look to see if the windscreen wipers would synch up with going past lamp posts.
it got quite obsessive at times.
Submitted by hairycoo (user info) at 2006-09-19 14:43:35 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2006-09-19 14:31:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2006-09-19 14:31:17 (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Crystle (user info) at 2006-09-19 14:29:00 (#)
Ranking: 2
<confused>
what list?
-----------
AHEM
Submitted by Crystle (user info) at 2006-whatever-whatever 23:64:42
Ranking: 0
...sigh...another list I didn't make.
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2006-09-19 14:19:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I PUT YOU ON MY LIST CRYSTLE
Submitted by forensicgirl3 (user info) at 2006-09-19 14:08:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Great stuff, Slim!
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2006-09-19 14:05:14 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
it's a deer right?
A deer standing in the middle of the road like a deer in the headlights?
Submitted by jgreening (user info) at 2006-09-19 13:47:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
MWAH!
Um, you know what I mean...
Submitted by Crystle (user info) at 2006-09-19 13:44:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? No. Lumber Lung? No. Jugglers despair?
No. Achy-Breaky Pelvis? No. Oh, I'm never going to be disabled.
I'm sick of being so healthy! Hey wait -- Hyper-Obesity. If you
weigh more than 300 pounds, you qualify as disabled.
-- Homer Simpson
King-Size Homer
Submitted by Amontillado (user info) at 2006-09-19 13:43:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
pretty.
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2006-09-19 13:43:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
nuts and bolts you got screwed.
Submitted by GodChicken (user info) at 2006-09-19 13:41:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Wooooo Crystle is back!