At the Sea, at the Sea. . .

Dear Gentle Reader,
Maybe I’ll never get over it.
I’m talking about that feeling that comes when I’m driving up a hill, reach the crest and suddenly see the vast panorama of the Pacific Ocean spreading forth before me. The expanse stretches as far as eye can see, with layered hues of blue. The highway swoops down the hill and brings me close to the beach where cars can park for an up-close look at the ocean.

The first time I experienced that breath-stopping feeling at the sight of the ocean was back in the sixties after we’d driven cross-country on I-80 and were approaching San Francisco. With a two-year-old in the back seat and another child on the way, Dick and I were filled with excitement to be moving to California. Aside from our decision to get married, that trip represented one of the bigger gambles of our life, although I certainly didn’t perceive it that way at the time. Definitely not! Youth thinks only in terms of opportunity!

We had both left secure teaching positions in eastern Iowa in order that Dick could enter the "big league" of academics at Stanford University. It never occurred to me that our adventure would end in anything but success. My hero had been accepted in a new program funded by the Ford Foundation and the goal was to emerge with a doctorate that would, indeed, change our lives significantly.

People who were more experienced and more objective might have questioned the wisdom of embarking down that road. But praise God, somehow Dick managed to jump over all the hurdles professors set before doctoral students and land on his feet.

Today those memories came to mind as I was driving from Pacific Beach to Del Mar. I forced myself to make a trip to the grocery and then onto the freeway, because we hadn’t driven our new car for nearly six weeks. Actually, we’ve had our 2006 Hyundai Sonata since last September but have driven it fewer than half-a-dozen times. Why? Because we still love our Pontiac Grand Am, now ten years old! The seats are so comfy, and it’s small enough to fit comfortably in narrow parking spaces. I don’t worry about getting "dings" anymore, either, having already taken it to the body shop a couple times.

But you can’t just let a new car set in the garage, so today was the day. And the trip went smoothly, except for a traffic jam on I-8 in La Jolla due to construction. The new car really handles nicely, has good pick-up when it’s needed, and gives a smooth ride. It’s a fine car, as far as I can tell. If I could just get used to the wider body when parking, there’d be no problem. Maybe when we drive it to Iowa this summer and I have no alternative, I’ll learn to deal with the parking issue.

It’s been a spectacular January day, warm enough for sunbathers on the beach. Wish you were here. :-)