Full Circle

There aren't a whole lot of people who know what I'm about to share and it's a little personal so I'd appreciate it if you kept it to yourself. When I was younger, about 12 or 13 months I guess. Not 12 or 13 months younger, but when I was actually 12 or 13 months. I couldn't walk yet, it wasn't that I had some handicap or anything, I just hadn't seen any need. You see I had a friend that would take me anywhere I needed to be. He was made of wood, had enormous rockers, a fairly comfortable seat and a huge head shaped like a duck with ears that were conveniently about an inch round and stuck straight  out of the sides of his head about six inches. Being young and fairly inconsiderate I used those ears as handholds. I would climb on that baby, start the back and forth rocking exercise, get up some momentum, and away I'd go. We had wooden floors which offered no hindrance to forward motion and if you leaned while rocking you could turn any direction.

Some of the kids my mom called my 'friends' would hang out by the kitchen and gurgle things like, "Check out the rockers on that." They were just jealous. I was, after all, being transported at my whim. They were stuck in their miserable little space where the only change encountered would be if they filled their diapers. I was free, footloose, a man about the house and it felt good. The only downside was my duck wasn't fast enough. I couldn't wait to say goodbye to that thing, grow, learn to walk, ride a bike and ultimately, drive a car.

Life has moved on a little since then, I grew up and pretty much forgot all about those days. I now posses a vehicle with hundreds of horsepower and can run with the wind. The exhilaration of the world flying by is incredible. Modern machinery has surpassed my most ambitious expectations and it feels good.

The other day, while sitting in another traffic jam, I looked over and this little kid was motivating down the sidewalk on this rocking duck. I watched him till he got to the top of the hill and was sure he laughed just as he rocked out of sight. I turned to my bud and said, "Did you check out the rockers on that? We'd been sitting there an hour and the only thing that changed was, I really thought my friend could use a new diaper and maybe some wipees.

Driving tip:  There is a huge reader board type sign on the side of the highway that usually reads, "Don't text and drive!" ...Usually. The other day it said, "For information on Texas traffic deaths text: (817)..." Sometimes you shouldn't do everything the government tells you. You would never take your eyes off the screen and one hand off your controller to text while playing Mario. A giant ape might get you. Why would you think it OK to text while driving? Giant semi trucks are really hard on your paint, and maybe your body if you don't pay close attention while driving. An ape can make you repeat your level. In traffic it might be GAME OVER! Using your head while driving does not mean using it to stop a semi.
Be careful out there. Don't text and drive.