In the Moment
Someone had a photo of the Golden Gate Bridge on their Facebook feed.
The mind is a beautiful thing because I instantly thought, and brought up images, of the hundreds of times I saw the view from that bridge.
Conversations with Mom and Dad and my brothers and sisters.
There was a particular Sunday morning that came to mind. I was with Dad. We were working overtime. We would be paid double time for our trouble.
"Uh-oh. You have any money on you?" Dad asked.
"Nope. I have my paycheck, but I never cashed it. It's for $1,200 and we've been working so much I never cashed it."
Dad showed me his own check. It wasn't cashed either. It was for over three thousand dollars!
"Doesn't do us any good if we run out of gas."
We drove.
Made it over the bridge.
(In all the time I lived there I never tired of the view from that bridge).
We headed into the heart of the city and that big old Ford Galaxy started to gulp.
"Shit!"
Dad steered the car to the side of the road.
"How about a dime? You have a dime on you."
(Was only a dime to make a call).
I didn't.
We stayed there for awhile. I think we even looked under the seats for change. It was before 7 a.m.
Dad pointed at an Asian man pushing a cart on the side of the road.
"Go ask him if he has a dime."
"No!" I yelled.
So Dad did it.
I saw him talking to the guy. Then they both started laughing. Then Dad came back to the car holding the dime up for me to see.
I went to the pay phone and called Ralph at the job trailer.
Ralph brought a gallon of gas to us. He also brought a ten-dollar bill which Dad took across the street and handed to the Asian guy.
The guy didn't want it.
Dad made him take it.
For years and years we laughed about that trip.
We had five grand between us and not a dime to make a phone call!
I stared at that photo for quite awhile.
Thought about there being time for one more trip across the bridge...
...but it's okay.
It really is.
Because they were great trips the first time.
And they're still with me.
Best of all...
...I appreciated those trips while we were making them.
The mind is a beautiful thing because I instantly thought, and brought up images, of the hundreds of times I saw the view from that bridge.
Conversations with Mom and Dad and my brothers and sisters.
There was a particular Sunday morning that came to mind. I was with Dad. We were working overtime. We would be paid double time for our trouble.
"Uh-oh. You have any money on you?" Dad asked.
"Nope. I have my paycheck, but I never cashed it. It's for $1,200 and we've been working so much I never cashed it."
Dad showed me his own check. It wasn't cashed either. It was for over three thousand dollars!
"Doesn't do us any good if we run out of gas."
We drove.
Made it over the bridge.
(In all the time I lived there I never tired of the view from that bridge).
We headed into the heart of the city and that big old Ford Galaxy started to gulp.
"Shit!"
Dad steered the car to the side of the road.
"How about a dime? You have a dime on you."
(Was only a dime to make a call).
I didn't.
We stayed there for awhile. I think we even looked under the seats for change. It was before 7 a.m.
Dad pointed at an Asian man pushing a cart on the side of the road.
"Go ask him if he has a dime."
"No!" I yelled.
So Dad did it.
I saw him talking to the guy. Then they both started laughing. Then Dad came back to the car holding the dime up for me to see.
I went to the pay phone and called Ralph at the job trailer.
Ralph brought a gallon of gas to us. He also brought a ten-dollar bill which Dad took across the street and handed to the Asian guy.
The guy didn't want it.
Dad made him take it.
For years and years we laughed about that trip.
We had five grand between us and not a dime to make a phone call!
I stared at that photo for quite awhile.
Thought about there being time for one more trip across the bridge...
...but it's okay.
It really is.
Because they were great trips the first time.
And they're still with me.
Best of all...
...I appreciated those trips while we were making them.
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