Meet Ralph

 I felt a little reminiscent this morning as I mindlessly transported myself to work and through my vents came the smell of exhaust. Not normal exhaust but the smell of being eight years old, with Dad, Mom, Brother in OUR Family Truckster (a Chevette), sitting in gridlock inching our way in to the big city of Chicago. It seemed so big to me then. Strange people, strange place. Now, I know people who reside there and have frequented the area due to our Regional Office location there. It took me back to being small, naive....fragile. I thought of my children. I pondered the math in my head and figured my parents to be about my age at that time. Holy shit. In my mind they were so mature.....old even. They knew all the answers. Is that what my kids think of me? I certainly do not know all the answers and am sickened at the notion that I am old! I dug out my CD book out of the center console, in an effort to recapture some of my youth. As I did this, I found Ralph. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, Ralph. Ralph, Ladies and Gentlemen. 

Ralph has been in my life since 1996. I bought him the week of my 16th Birthday on my first drive to the mall in my Birthday present a sporty, maroon Chevy Beretta. To take you back some....this is when Walgreen's was in the mall. Feel ancient yet? Anyhow....Ralph and I have spent many fun-filled days together. He has been in my life since before Hubs and the kids....wow....did I even have a life then? Yes. Yes I did, I recall. Bass a thumpin, stogies a burnin,  smiles a dozen, laughing....carefree. He was my first child of sorts. Thank goodness I have become a better parent. Note the cigarette burns on his cheeks. Poor Ralphie. I don't take him out often. He currently resides in the deep center console of the Family Truckster.


I smiled thinking of the immature version of myself. Was that really ME all those years ago? What happens to us over the years? Life, I suppose. Hurt, betrayal, lies, tears..... We start out wide eyed and so trusting of the world then reach an age where we forget who we were. All the things our kids do to drive us nuts, were things that we did. Why do we get so angry? Well as these thoughts danced in my head the eight year old me got really pissed off at the thirty-something me. So I decided to act as young and carefree as my thirty something body would let me on my journey to work. I cued up an old mix CD, cranked up the volume and felt Mariah Carey enter my veins.

Mariah Carey....We Belong Together

It wasn't my usual crooning, staring straight ahead while concerned about my surroundings. Not today. I had my left hand on the wheel and my right hand was going all Mariah up in there! I glanced at cars that passed and if they made eye contact with me I simply serenaded them with a longing gaze. IT WAS FUN! I felt 16 again! For the first time in a long time, I let go. You know what? It was awesome. So today, channel your inner 16 year old.....or whatever age you want to commemorate......and just be carefree. Life is too short! Take the stick up out of your ass! Figuratively, of course. If you literally have a stick up your ass, go to the hospital friend!