As I drove to my party last night, my nerves were on end because it
was dark and raining and I had such a late start. I took my time going,
the GPS blaring out turn-by-turn directions, but I still managed to get
lost. For some reason my mind moves to the macabre when I drive alone.
In my head I vision my car hitting water, spinning out of control and
being plummeted on all sides by oncoming traffic. It's a constant battle
to get my mind off that and onto better thoughts once it gets reeling.
Thinking about angels guarding the four corners of my car generally does
the trick.
When I arrived at the neighborhood where we were
gathering, the GPS managed to get me lost. Driving in circles, for what
seemed like forever, the voice told me I had arrived. As if by magic,
there was one parking space directly in front of the door. What luck.
The evening was spent with some interesting people ... On my left was a
young man who had recently graduated from USC, directly across from me
was a retired English teacher, and on my right a retired District
Attorney for Santa Cruz. We were all there because we love to write and
volunteer helping kids.
It would have been so easy
to stay home in my pj's and Sherpa blanket wrapped around me last
night, but I pushed myself to go and I'm grateful. Meeting people,
talking to them about projects coming up, playing word games ... makes
the community I live in alive. December is such a depressing month for
me, so whatever will get me out of my doldrums is good.
