Red Lights
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Bennett and I were out running errands the other day when the unthinkable happened—I had to stop at a red light. His previously quiet cooing in the backseat turned into a newly discovered wail. I cranked up the radio but to no avail. I sang at him, pled with the traffic light to turn green and even blew at it a few times—I saw it work in the movie “Corrina, Corrina” once. As long as the car was moving he was content. I slowly loosened my foot’s grip on the break. I started pumping that pedal for all I was worth. As the car rocked closer and closer to the white line his scream lessened slightly. This is when I happened to glance at the vehicle to my right.
The driver was a young high school aged kid in his father’s Mercedes. He was staring at me with eyebrows furrowed as though I had some massive growth coming out of my forehead. And then he revved his engine. Had I not been so flustered by the screaming child in the backseat and my growing headache, I would have laughed. I could have rolled down the window and explained the situation to the complete stranger. “Young man I do not want to race you. I am fully aware that you’re Mercedes would smoke my Kia. Can’t you see that I’m an old lady? You see I am intentionally making myself nauseas in an attempt to console the small creature in the backseat.” By the time I had fashioned the explanation of my behavior, the light had turned green, we were free, and the boy was car lengths in front of us. As our car gained momentum the child quieted and I couldn’t help but smile.
My cousin Greg once made a comment about women being horrible drivers. I was offended at the time by such a blanket statement, but this incident brought his words to my recollection. Now when I see someone driving erratically down the freeway I first look to see if they have a carseat in the vehicle with them!





