I wave back up to the screen door as I climb in the car. Max waves happily for a moment before turning away in search of a playmate.
The car-starting routine begins; purse on passenger seat, phone in cup holder, sunglasses on. The left blinker clicks as I pull away from the curb, glancing over my shoulder as I pull into traffic.
My commute is officially underway.
At the stop sign, I reach down to turn off the kids' radio station; I don't need another round of “Butterfly Driving a Truck” or “Mama Tooted,” not when I'm alone in the car.
I switch the stereo over to my iPod, and the car is soon filled with familiar notes, and before long, my voice has joined in, falling into harmony with The Indigo Girls, the Beatles or the beloved Broadway tunes of my childhood.
My voice isn't as trained as it used to be, I can't quite hit the high notes, but as I clear my mind and sing along, I am energized.
The prompt: Where is your quiet place? What does it look like? What happens there?
Ohhh I love to sing along, and I’m just like you….I can’t quite hit those high notes anymore, but I try anyway.
So perfect. I love this! I envy you it, a bit, in that I don’t drive and don’t get to take my quiet place away with me!
I can so relate. I swear, my time in the car is sometimes the only alone time I have all day!
Some days I miss my long commute, just for this reason – the minutes of uninterrupted singing time, no choice but to stay in the car and just drive.
Love that you mentioned the radio. Those kids dominate the radio when they are in the car….
I felt like I was in your car with you as you shed the “mom” with the radio station and just became you, belting out your tunes. Singing in the car is the best.
I love blasting the radio/tunes and singing along. What an awesome release. A little scary when I climb back into the car after a blasting singalong when I forget to turn the volume down 😀
I love the way you took us to your place physically and in your mind.
I was right there with you- and Indigo Girls? Swoon!
xo
I love singing in the car! As a matter of fact I am an incredible car singer! I don’t know what happens when I leave the car though… I lose it all.
It’s funny…I have a love/hate relationship with my commute for this very reason. I love that it give me that “quiet time”. I just wish I was the only car on the road. 😉