Driving

Driving across the mid American plains of Ohio, the rocky hills of Kentucky, the RV businesses of Indiana and the maniac travel of Mich I get to see a lot of things, places and people. It is a life mostly of solitude as I am surrounded by the metal and plastic of my Chrylser LHS. The windows closed and the air on, it provides a window if you will into the world around me. Yet not having to engage that world other the watch out for this one and that one, especially those large 18 wheel jobs roaring across the country. Oh sure I get to stop from time to time and have some verbal exchange of ideas with one of my dealers, but for the most part it is alone time, not that I am complaining, I do enjoy it and it does provide for the needs of the family. Yet it surely is not like the hours of time spent sitting around talking with my wife and sister during the winter months. Now driving of a different sort and that being the use of the driver, a large 460cc face golf club, to swing and smash that little ball making it sail through the air, in a straight line hopefully, is an all together different experience. For the last several years I have shared that time with a gentleman of older years, times of laughter, times of a little frustration, like the one day he was driving the golf cart and left me out in the middle of the fairway, driving all the way to the green to putt his ball. Or the time it was his turn to drive to the golf course and he missed the s curve and drove out into a corn field. Those time together are becoming a thing of the past as this last trip a couple of weeks ago was for the most likely the last, he is not the same person any more, his mind is leaving, his memory is fading, even to the point of not knowing which way to face as he attempts to hit the ball only to have it sort of fly 30 to 40 yards at best. So , today I travel alone. The same as in my car only today in the cart. I enjoy the game, it is with myself anyway, to challenge my own ability, but it is also sad to think something has been lost. not for myself but for him, and for his dear wife.