photo by @condorito1953
As a kid you always know when adults dislike you. No matter how you try to behave in front of them, they’re suspicious.
And did you ever notice how when you’re trying really hard to not piss someone off, you unintentionally end up doing the very thing that does piss them off?
That’s what happened with my best friend’s mother.
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Mrs. K didn’t like me. She thought I was a bad influence on her daughter and my best friend and college roommate Jude. Jude and I thought this was hysterical. but I always got the blame. Mostly undeserved but it bothered me. Plus Mrs. K was scary.
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I wonder what I’d have done about this as an adult?
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At college one weekend, Mrs. K came down in her powder blue, white leather, white carpeted immaculate Cadillac and took Jude to lunch. They were driving back to our mutual home town about 50 miles away afterward for the weekend.
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I asked Jude if I could catch a ride to my folks’ house. Her mother unhappily agreed to give me a lift. My little bag and I slipped into the back seat of the Caddy for the ride.
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About the time we reached the highway, Mrs. K wrinkled her nose and barked, “What’s that awful smell?” It did smell terrible, and it appeared to be coming from the back seat. Where I was sitting.
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Jude turned around and barely containing her laughter asked me, “Yeah, what is that smell? Did you….?” I suppose she thought I had intestinal distress or something.
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I was about to make an indignant reply when I looked down and noticed that my right shoe was covered in dog s**t. Mrs. K looked at me in the rearview. It wasn’t a happy look. “What’s going on back there?” she asked.
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“Sorry,” I said. “Would you mind stopping at the next gas station so I can use the facilities?” Mrs. K scowled at me but took the next exit, slammed the car into park, and stalked into the station to buy cigarettes. “Hurry up,” she demanded.
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“Jude, I stepped in a big pile of…” was all I got out. We laughed hysterically as I opened the door and carefully stepped onto the pavement. Jude got some paper towels, and tried to get as much of the dog poo off the car’s carpet as she could.
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“My mom is going to blow a gasket,” Jude choked out as she laughed, cried, and rubbed the carpet. I walked to some grass and started wiping my shoe vigorously like an old dog.
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In horror, I saw Mrs. K start back to the car and ran to the restroom. I did my best to wash the shoe and then hot footed it back to the car. Mrs. K was tapping her foot with impatience. “So sorry,” I muttered. “Get in,” was her terse reply.
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The rest of the trip was uneventful although the car still smelled faintly of eau de dog caca. Periodically, Jude would crack up which earned me a sharp, squinty eyed rearview mirror look from her mom. That was the last time I ever got a ride with Mrs. K. I think both of us were relieved.
Growing older is a gift, not a curse. It’s a time to reminisce. It’s also the time to show up as who you really are.
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To stop and take a look at what you want in life. To pursue a long buried dream. Finish your degree. Start a business. Quit your job. Find something to do with yourself during retirement. I’m here to help you sort it out.
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Let’s chat. Click here Work with me and get in touch today.
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