A memory:
On the day I turned 16 I became the family driver, forever freeing the three of us (mom, my brother and I) from a weighty bus schedule or the whims and availability of our more mobile loved ones. Aside from going over the speed limit on occasion, I follow the rules.
One night, not long after I got my license, I am driving on the recently finished portion of the 210 freeway that goes from Lake View Terrace to La Crescenta. Pristine freeway, hardly used at the time, cutting through the mountains that had been my friends since childhood.
A grey car in the fast lane is full of kids fooling around. On my radio is news of the Hillside Stranglers, their capture being fairly recent, and details of their horrific crimes. I look over, in complete shock, to see a kid climb out of the window on the passenger side of the car. He's pounding the roof, blonde hair flying wildly, and the kids inside are dancing to music I cannot hear. The driver is erratic. Suddenly, he swerves and the kid loses his balance. He falls backward. I still see it in my head, like a piece of film, in clips. Just before his head reaches that spotless pavement, his feet catch the ceiling of the car. Perhaps someone inside was holding on...I am not sure. This kid escaped death by inches.
I've often wondered if that was a life changing moment for him. Did he become a rule follower like me? Or maybe he was high and/or drunk and just laughs about it. Not sure but would love to know.
On the day I turned 16 I became the family driver, forever freeing the three of us (mom, my brother and I) from a weighty bus schedule or the whims and availability of our more mobile loved ones. Aside from going over the speed limit on occasion, I follow the rules.
One night, not long after I got my license, I am driving on the recently finished portion of the 210 freeway that goes from Lake View Terrace to La Crescenta. Pristine freeway, hardly used at the time, cutting through the mountains that had been my friends since childhood.
A grey car in the fast lane is full of kids fooling around. On my radio is news of the Hillside Stranglers, their capture being fairly recent, and details of their horrific crimes. I look over, in complete shock, to see a kid climb out of the window on the passenger side of the car. He's pounding the roof, blonde hair flying wildly, and the kids inside are dancing to music I cannot hear. The driver is erratic. Suddenly, he swerves and the kid loses his balance. He falls backward. I still see it in my head, like a piece of film, in clips. Just before his head reaches that spotless pavement, his feet catch the ceiling of the car. Perhaps someone inside was holding on...I am not sure. This kid escaped death by inches.
I've often wondered if that was a life changing moment for him. Did he become a rule follower like me? Or maybe he was high and/or drunk and just laughs about it. Not sure but would love to know.
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