Rev Your Engines

I was always up for action as a kid. Luckily for me, so were the kids who lived across the street: Hide-and-Seek during the day, Ghosts in the Graveyard at night, building tree forts in the summer and igloos in winter, or hunting for hermit crabs at the shore or blackberries at the park. 

Their stepdad liked to play with automobiles, and he let us race his go-karts around the field, and tagalong to Riverside Park to watch the stock car races where he worked on a pit crew. 

I just discovered a speedway exists in the county where I live, so my friends and I took our kids down one Friday night to watch the races. What I quickly remembered is you don’t just watch a car race, you feel it. The vibrations, the sounds, the smells are all so intense that you can’t focus on anything else. I wasn’t out there racing a car (even though I’d love to give that a try!), but I still felt like I was a part of the action.

I may not play like I used to, but I still like to explore what’s out there that can get my engine revving. 

Bangin’ Pots & Pans

As I pull out the noisemakers for the New Year’s Eve countdown, I’m reminded of my mom banging pots and pans on the front porch as the ball dropped, new year after new year. In elementary school, it was funny! In middle school, it was embarrassing. And in high school and beyond, we didn’t witness it because we were partying elsewhere. 

As I get older, I realize my mom was onto something, because life just isn’t as fun if you’re not looking forward to something or celebrating. And what better date to do those things than New Year’s Eve?! 

Celebrate! Bring the noise! Get excited! Bang some pots and pans! 

Happy New Year!