Parking Lot Reminder

There was this night last week when I raced through a parking lot.  In the cold windy dark air.  And the person I was racing, who shall remain nameless to save face, was feeling a bit over confident and started running backward as if to show off a bit.  Then the person bit the dust.  Fell to the ground in a rolling ball of skidding sounds with bursts of yelling.  Followed by some more yelling.  Which caused me to stop in my tracks and put my hands on my knees to laugh.  The kind of belly laugh that only happens when something is really funny.  After a quick check to make sure said person was not hurt person, we ran back to the car.  Letting the wind over fill our lungs and feeling the smiles growing broader on our faces and yelling taunts out to the sky.

If you haven't raced in a parking lot in the cold windy night air lately, go do it.  

Because, a few minutes later, as I sat with my legs folded underneath me in the backseat of the car listening to the two knuckleheads in the front seat rehashing the whole experience, "Did you hear me honk for you?" there was a perma-grin on my face and I was full.  Full of the good life.   

A six minute race in a parking lot can remind you to be alive.  To live loudly and to throw caution to the wind and tie up your shoes and do some racing.  I'm going to bet it also reminded the person who shall remain nameless to save face that falling down is not always such a bad thing.  Nothing a little dusting off and getting up and laughing at yourself can't fix.  

And along with the whole throw caution to the wind and do some living is the concept of letting yourself be excited.  As excited as a newly turned two year old getting his own riding toy from Papa and Nana.  Little Man's face says it all.