LIFE/DYING

Joy In Motion

I love to drive

I have had two driving licenses. My UK one and my Californian licence. I have loved driving all over the world.

At first, I only had a licence as it not usual to buy a new driver their first car in England. Plus, my mother was too mean to put me on the insurance for the family car. I didn’t ask. I never thought of it.

I got my first car while I was doing my Ph.D. in greater L.A. As I had been there over a year, I needed a California driving permit. I did the multiple choice written test, boy was it simple or what? and then I took my road test. I was told I had passed, but I should remember to stop before the white line, not slightly on it. I was bewildered. He would mention that but not ask me to make a left turn, reverse around a corner, or make a three-point turn? I was stunned by how easy the driving test was.

At first, I took the residents in my care to get frozen yogurts, or to diner for dessert. Then, as working on my doctorate became so intense, I would drive up the mountain listening to the Joshua Tree album by U2. It was go to music when I felt stressed. I would sit in my car looking the lights below and gaze at the moon and stars.

One day, friend was asked to bring back the car of a lady who did not feel well. He asked if I would join him. I leapt at the invitation, as it was a soft top. Andy pulled out the car park and headed northwest. I asked what he was doing. He told me he could not pass on the opportunity to enjoy driving it. I shut up and sat back.

Andy drove to the foothills and we went up the switch backs with the wind in my hair. I loved every moment and especially as I was with Andy. He was fun and we were sweet on each other, but as he was in my care, a relationship was against the rules. Andy would go on to commit a felony and left the state in order to escape prosecution. His grandmother and I corresponded for years and I spoke with his Dad twice. I still think about him to this day.

I would drive to the beach with friends and later I took road trips on the Pacific Coast Highway. It is my favourite drive in the US. We also drove to Flagstaff, Arizona, and from there to the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon left me speechless. It was Easter and snow still lay on some ledges and rocks, with the Colorado River flowing so deep down.

A guy in my care had a motorbike and he would take me pillion off road. I loved it! My hair would whip about and get tangled so I eventually tied it up. I had previously ridden pillion with my sister’s fiancé, but in Britain a helmet is compulsory.

I have driven from NYC to Richmond, VA, via Baltimore, MD. It was scenic but a culture shock after living on the West Coast. East coasters are less warm than the West coasters.

I needed to break a ten dollar bill and went around a bus station cafe asking if anyone could give me change. No. In California, someone would have taken my bill and called out “Hey, everybody, who can break this ten dollar bill for the lady?”.

Back to the UK and I immediately bought a used car. I had so many scenic places to visit as well as meeting friends at pubs in the countryside. I drove to my hair appointments, to see my clients, and friends and family furthe afield. I would drive to my Uncle’s house in West Byfleet and leave it there as I flew to destinations abroad.

Once I was in Wimbledon and my friend there turned out to be using me for free counselling. I phoned my Uncle to ask if they would mind if I came to them. Uncle Tom told me to take the A3 out of Wimbledon. I don’t know if I took the wrong direction, but I had to use the sun to find my way. I have used the sun three times. It is such a useful guide.

I drove to Edinburgh three times. Twice I planned it around seminars that I needed to attend to keep my registration to practice as a counselling service. They were in Runcorn, near Liverpool, and Sheffield. Leaving Sheffield, I kept an eye out for my turnoff from the freeway. I was over anxious and left the freeway too soon. I found myself on the Pennines in a blizzard.

It was pitch dark and all my dipped headlights showed me was falling snow. Cars would overtake me and I was relieved to follow them as their tail lights were a comfort. They would vanish in ten seconds speeding their way. I arrived in Edinburgh with frozen screen wash, having had to stop at every garage to clean my windscreen by hand with paper towels and icy cold water.

The image above is the model of my favourite car, but it was indigo, not blue or navy blue. Indigo.

This Rover with a Honda engine, was my third trip to Edinburgh, Leath, to be precise. It is where the Royal Yacht, Britannia was moored after it was decommissioned. I was with a friend to stay with her friends, although I saw one of my friends too. He came to the apartment twice and both times the atmosphere was fraught. My friend told me, driving home, that one of the men at the apartment was jealous of my friend. I am hopeless at knowing when a man is attracted to me.

On reaching the north end of the M1, deep fog descended. I was doing 30mph on a freeway! We giggled about it and decided to take a comfort break. This led to more laughter as we tried to find the amenities. Later, my friend offered to drive for a while. She was not insured, but she insisted that no one would know. Well, I knew and we had promised her husband that she would not drive.

Half an hour later, I saw she was asleep so I punched her and told her to pull over. I drove the rest of the way, with a scenic tour of Bristol airport as I was tired. We arrived three hours late at her home and her husband was worried sick and then furious when my friend told him she had driven.

That Rover took my husband and I around Wales, the Wye Valley, the Cotswolds, many trips into Westminster for concerts, and my children all over Ireland three times and down the length of France. All my in-laws rode in it. It took us to Switzerland too.

This might be my favourite road where I live. At the top are magnificent views and at the bottom our beautiful coast with cliffs and beaches.

I have had other cars since the Rover with a Honda engine, all Japanese since I can’t afford a German car.

In 2019 I stopped driving as my lungs had become too weak to steer power steering. I got a bus pass and read my poetry in three counties in the south of England.

Now using the bus exhausts me too.

Thank you for reading to the end. I appreciate it more than you know. If you are able to buy me Ko-fi, it is much appreciated as I must pay for my simple cremation so that my family are not left with a hefty bill. You will find the link on my home page in the bio. I am writing this from hospital.

My thanks as always to Dennett, and I like her new profile photo!