Popping My Post Cherry

This Monday started out as most Mondays do, entirely effed up. But it gradually improved. I managed to accomplish much.  My left turn signal bulb has been burned out for about a year. I have survived many birdies and stink eyes. Last week my left break light went out. I sucked up my fears of having to do any me

it's more needy than a stage 5 clinger

chanical, electrical, or general work on my foreign car and drove it to the auto parts store. I was terrified the bulbs would be 14k gold plated and cost twelve billion dollars like an oil change. Putting my financial fears aside I bravely walked to the counter and said in one breath, “I need a turn signal and break light for a 2001 BMW 325CI.” The clerk said,”Huh.” Fuck. I need to settle down. After talking slowly like my fifth grade play director had long ago taught me, he understood and began searching on their greasy computer. I had just eaten at my mothers house, so you know I ate well, and had a hard time standing comfortably. Finally it was decided we would have to take the old ones out to ensure we had the correct style. This wasn’t going to be a quick in and out like I had expected.

The clerk yelled at another coworker to help me. I don’t think he was in the mood to talk car parts with someone who just recently found the trunk release button on their car of one year. When I looked up from the wide selection of Ed Hardy air fresheners(scents come in cherry vodka, tanning bed, and Paul Mitchell Freeze and Shine), I saw an old high school friend who had recently been diagnosed with cancer. We have talked back and forth via Facebook about different pain in the ass tests, or the strawberry fields of chemotherapy but have not seen each other in about five years. When he opened my trunk I could only laugh at the contents inside. Stinky Reeboks,  sixteen purses, a Hannah Montana doll, and one of my infamous wigs.

After he successfully brought me to, “kind of a safe driver”, for only $5.99, we took turns raising the bar on the cancer game. You know, ” I have three rounds of chemo left.” “Oh yea, I have nine.” Kind of a a cancer treatment throwdown. We exchanged numbers and promised to get a beer as soon as we could pencil one another around our doctor appointments.

I left smiling. It’s a different world he and I live in. It’s refreshing to know a peer of mine has the same questions and general fears about life, and has experienced some of those. Some one to relate to.

Tomorrow am I have a yoga class with my high school french teacher at the Senior Center. This.should.be.interesting. To say the least. I am looking forward to it, even if it means waking up at 7:45. It is something different. I am always looking for change!