I Hit That Rock

This morning I had a sinking feeling over something that happened 48 years ago.  We were driving down 29th Street and pulled along side a large white truck with barbed wire stenciled down the side.  Hubby said, "Who in the world would want a barb wire stencil on their truck?"  That led me to tell him about an incident that happened in 1966.


Turn back the clock.............there I am.............right in the kitchen...........1966 ............the year my parents bought their first brand new car.  1966 Ford Galaxy.............the body style was beautiful.  It was the car I got to sport around town once in a while, my senior year; the car we were all proud of especially my parents.  Mom and Dad were across the pasture doing some chore, I know not what.  It was just about dusk.  We kids were there at the house doing homework and cleaning up the kitchen after supper.  All of a sudden the faucet blew up.  I mean exploded.  Water was spewing everywhere.  I jumped in our brand new car to alert Mom and Dad.  You'd be surprised how fast you can back up, turn the car around and head up the old gravel driveway.  I had no time to loose.................  Oops, I totally forgot about the electric barb wire fence that was strung across the driveway..............until I had totally run right under it.  Yeah, that one string barb wire fence didn't break, it just rode right over the top of the brand new car.  Yes, you are right.  There were scratches from the hood right over the windshield, over the top and right down the truck............on our brand new car.


To this day, I feel horrible recalling this story.  I knew how much they sacrificed to finally get a new car.  They were upset about those scratches, and I remember them talking to me about it.  I also remember them forgiving me because I was on a mission to stop the flooding in the kitchen, not to mention trying to stop the well from running dry.


Another little memory happened on the way home from church one dark Sunday night.  I was 16.  I was driving, Mom was in the middle, and Daddy on the passenger side.  "Watch out for that rock.  Don't hit that rock!  Don't hit that rock", dad exclaimed!  "Regina, why did you hit that rock?"  I have no idea what happened to me that night.  I saw the rock in plenty of time to avoid it.  I heard Dad tell me not to hit the rock.  I even saw him flinch and grab the dash, but for some reason the die was cast.  I was going to hit that rock. I was going to hit it no matter what.  I had no control over that car.  It was like I was in a slow motion dream.  I lined up to hit that boulder square between the front two tires.  It made contact just about the middle of the car.  I was going to hit that rock.  I hit that rock.  (I might add that it was the car prior to the 1966 Ford Galaxy.  I might also add that the car was out of alignment after that incident............all due to me being sucked up in some sort of 5th dimension on that dark Sunday night.) 


I hit that rock!


I love you.