Grasp the concept already

My dad used to do fun stuff like go on cookie runs. We'd run to the nearest gas station and buy cookies of all kinds because he was having a cookie attack (that is what he called them) This all started in Georgia, while we were driving up from Florida because we had moved to Michigan. We stopped at a gas station in Georgia called Starvin' Marvin's (appropriate isn't it?) and I can't even begin to remember how many kinds of cookies we got that time so we could eat them on the road, which happened to be Thanksgiving day. We stopped that night at my aunts house, (it was on the way) and had thanksgiving dinner on the go. I can remember that there weren't any restaurants or grocery stores open, and hardly any gas stations for that matter, an oversight of traveling on Thanksgiving Day. When my aunt found out we hadn't had anything to eat that day but cookies, she was so ticked in her Georgian bless your heart kind of way. I couldn't wait to get to 50 and be able to control my temper like that.

I don't remember what we talked about on our trip up here, but I do remember that I got stuck sitting in the middle. My dad drove an 87 GMC pick-up truck (which I still have) and there were only 3 seats, my brother being my father's only male child, (my fathers pride and joy) got the window seat.

Actually it really didn't matter at the time, I'm pretty sure we didn't fight over it or anything (not like we did when we were with my mom, we'd have to put sticky notes on the seat so we knew who was sitting there next.) and looking back on it, I'm glad I was the one who got to sit by him. I remember looking up at him, he was so big to me, and although he wasn't a big man, I was impressed. I wanted to be just like him.

Except for the fact that he loved those Egg McMuffins from McDonalds. To this day just the smell of those makes me want to throw up.

Anyways the reason I brought this up was because my dad also used to "share the road", as he called it. He would drive on the other side of the road when the signs say Pass with Care. Then as if it was hilarious to him, he'd say for the thousandth time, "The sign says pass with care. But I don't care so I can't pass." Then he'd laugh at his own joke, as Jeff would mimic him and laugh with him, (he was pretty young) and I'm pretty sure I shook my head. Then my dad would "share the road." He'd go in the other lane (when there were no cars present) and wiggle back and forth.

Josh started to do that for Laurel in the mornings and called it "Wiggle waggle."

I caught myself doing it yesterday.

I thought, "My dad would have been proud of me." What a thing for a father to be proud of. I think it was more that my father would have been proud that I have fun spending time with my kids. When we need to wait, we find games to play and then the time doesn't seem so long.

I guess that is what I ultimately learned from my dad in this experience.

That and don't take life too seriously. But I haven't quite grasped that concept.