Changes

At a stoplight

It's my 16th birthday party. We girls have left the lame scene (my house) to cruise around in my friend Mary's car because she's the only one who can drive and has a car. The stereo is loud -- I think it's something by Whitney Houston. We stop at a red light where a woman is selling flowers. Mary calls the woman over. She comes running, smiling. Then the light turns green, and Mary hits the pedal. All the girls laugh.

- - -

I'm 26. I'm driving home from work in rush-hour traffic. I have the windows down because it's a nice day. My stereo is playing something loud -- maybe Red Hot Chili Peppers? At a red light, a guy in the next lane calls to me. "Hey! Hey!" Is my tire flat? Is my shirt stuck in my door? Reluctantly, I look over. He's actually kind of cute. He has a nice smile. He's just flirting. But what kind of guy tries to meet women at a stoplight? I start to roll up my windows. "Can't a guy talk to a pretty woman?!" he says.

- - -

I'm running an errand on business -- my own business, at 36. A car pulls up next to me at a red light. The stereo bass is booming so hard that my car is shaking and my bones are vibrating. It's a small car, but it's full of teenagers. I hear them laughing. I turn up my own stereo -- some John Mayer or Norah Jones -- to try to drown out their sound. I can't wait until the light turns green so they can speed off and take their bass with them.

- - -

Last night on the way home from dinner out with Star, Lancelot and her dear husband, I had to stop at a light. Flybaby was in his car seat, crying. I reached back to touch him to comfort him (I can only reach the top of his head) and tell him we'd be home soon. But his crying even drowned out strains of Baby Beethoven. Then the light turned green and I put both hands back on the steering wheel, thinking of putting him in his pajamas, nursing him and putting him to bed for the night.


Hope you enjoy this month's blog exchange. This post is by Damselfly, who started blogging about her pregnancy -- and now blogs about life with a newborn -- at Growing a Life. The theme for this month's exchange is "Changes," and you can find Nancy's thoughts on the topic here.