A few weeks ago I was driving down the back country roads that lead to the lake house. I was in our big SUV, in the middle of the day, running some sort of mundane errand. Suddenly there was an older model sedan behind me, right on my tail.
I could tell by looking that it was full of teenagers, one with a cigarette dangling out the window, the female driver in dark sunglasses, at least three more bodies crammed in the back. I could tell by hearing that they were young enough to have music blaring out the open sunroof, but old enough that it wasn't a current hit.
They were driving too close to me. Not only could they read each of our stickers with clarity, they could probably also see the dust clinging there. We went on like this for a mile or so before I let myself be really irritated.
I was tempted to tap my brakes, giving them a passive agressive warning. It crossed my mind to slow way down just when we hit a no-passing stretch, to be as equally annoying. There was a time in my life when I would have done these things. I am not one to be bullied, either on the road or elsewhere.
Instead, at the first available moment, I put on my blinker and pulled safely to the side of the road. I let the loud and rowdy car pass quickly, they didn't give me so much as a sideward glance. I turned around and gave a smile to the reason behind my measured behavior. Both of my kids were strapped into their carseats, unaware of my restraint.
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For the first time in two and a half years, I am taking a bit of a blogging break. It won't be long, just a few weeks. I'll be back in time to take you on my trip to Sri Lanka at the end of August, and I already have big plans for posts here in the fall.
But I need to take a bit of a planned breather. I know myself well enough to know when I need to pull to the side of the road. I need to catch up on a long list of To Dos that aren't going anywhere. I need to finish the kitchen remodel. More than anything, I need to prepare my heart for the trip of a lifetime.
Except for the holidays, I have posted on this blog multiple times a week since January of 2010. It's time for me to take a smidgen of space to let the best stuff bubble to the top. I'll still be posting regularly on the HH facebook page, on twitter, and will still be writing my weekly column at allParenting.
So I'll be around, I'll just be clearing some brain space, and enjoying these last beautiful weeks of summer with my family.
Happy August, HH readers!
*photo by Jo@net
