Leader of the Pack

This isn't what I planned.  I can't help it.  My idea was to sit down and ORGANIZE this blog.  I was going to develop ideas, lay them out, tweak them.  I can't do it today.  Maybe in later posts.  Today I have to tell you about the morning, the glorious morning.  I got out early this morning for my favorite morning treat, coffee, the paper, a donut and NO DOGS staring at me to share my food.  Who the heck trained these guys anyhow?  How did they evolve into the perfect eating, pooping and staring machines.  Anyhow, I digress.

I got out early before 6:30, it was cool, beautiful and I was driving my almost brand new convertible (4,901 miles on the odometer).  I had the 60s station on the radio and was just so impressed by the quiet and beauty of the morning.  THIS is how it is going to be in retirement, I told myself.  No rush, no stress, doing just what I want to do.  That's when it happened and I had no choice but to write about it.

I am no more than two blocks from my house, driving down the Pike and on comes The Shangrilas singing The Leader of the Pack.  1964.  "I met him at the candy store/He turned around and smiled at me/You get the picture?/That's when I fell for the Leader of the Pack"  All of a sudden I was Betty!  And then, I am not making this up, a large, noisy motorcycle drove up behind me!  I wasn't pissed like I would be normally because of the noise.   I was just happy to be thinking about 1964 when I was 14 years old and the leader of the pack was right behind me!  Just like the leader of the pack though, it was over in a moment..."Look out! Look out! Look out! Look out!"

Up ahead in the intersection was the future staring my in the face.  A little old (but gaily dressed) lady was (against the light mind you) shuffling across the street.  Flashback to Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, and Arte Johnson's character  the  "dirty old man" who was always bothering Ruth Buzbee the old spinster woman on the park bench.  She shufled so slowly that she probably started the walk WITH the light, but by the time I got to her the light had long ago changed.

As I was dreaming of the 60's, driving in my convertible ----the Silver Tongued Latin Lover (my husband) says lots of "older" people buy convertibles---I slammed on the breaks to avoid a great disaster as my motorcycle fantasy Leader of the Pack drove on.

Is the future really facing me this quickly?  I think not yet, but she is definitely shuffling in.