Random train of thought
I have my parents' car for the week and it's all I can do not to drive it everywhere I go. I had to restrain myself from driving to work today, which is a ten minute bike ride away. I had to restrain myself from driving to Jer's tonight, which is a two minute ride.
The car is an Intrepid, and such a sweet ride.
About three months ago I was back visiting my parents' for the weekend and dad asked if I wanted to take the car out for a spin. So I did. I just pulled out of the driveway and took random paved roads. Two minutes later I realized I felt like seeing water. So instead of turning around at the next intersection like I'd planned to, I just kept going north. Forty five minutes later I was entering Collingwood, thinking about the morning I'd watched the sun rise on a beach not far away.
We had our second grad (highschool formal) at the Cranberry Resort in Collingwood. The first one wasn't technically mine. Half the people in my group of friends, including the girl I was seeing at the time, had fast-tracked and had enough credits to graduate early even though they all came back the following year for OACs. The first grad we had on a ship in the harbour in Toronto.
The following year, the rest of us graduated and decided to have it at the Cranberry. Yes, many of the people in my group had spent the entire year planning the event. I had devised a point system that allowed graduating students to volunteer their time in various fundraisers or in the planning or organization of grad and earn points that went toward decreasing the cost of their tickets. The fundraisers had brought down the price of everybody's tickets.
Six of us had gone in together to get a condo at the resort for two nights, the second night being grad itself. After grad we had stayed up talking all night, reminiscing about highschool and talking about our plans for the future. Shortly before dawn someone suggested going to watch the sun rise at the beach over the water.
Everyone wanted to do it, but the problem was that Collingwood is not exactly in the best place in relation to the water to do something like that.
So we piled in the car and raced the sun to a beach far enough west and north along the shore for the sun to actually come up over the water. We didn't make it and had pulled over to some random beach just in time to enjoy the sunrise, though not over the water. Nonetheless, it was the perfect capper to a great night.
We all got quiet and contemplative and separated from each other, finding our own pieces of the beach to explore and brood over and do whatever.
About an hour later, the girl I was dating - yes, the same one I'd been dating the year before at grad and had been dating for two years before that - dumped me.
I'd been a prick. Her closest friend was a guy in our group that she had once confessed having romantic feelings for. The fact the guy was gay didn't do anything to ward off my jealousy. I didn't take this well. It was an ongoing problem between us for a bad eight months before grad. He was one of the six of us on the beach.
I brought it up again that morning. I don't remember what I said or what triggered it, but it ended with her ending us. I didn't take this well either. I spent a great deal of time making a fool of myself, trying to convince her not to dump me. Essentially begging. Finally I accepted it and we all made the hour long drive back to our small town and to our respective houses. That wasn't a fun drive for anybody.
I remember sitting by the pool that night, my face wet. All I wanted was to call her and beg. Again. Thinking back now, I can't believe that.
I didn't though. I swore not to call her. If this was what she wanted, so be it. Lesson learned.
Five days later she called me and asked me to take her back. I did, though I shouldn't have. We were already done, but we were both too scared of a future without each other to admit it. We lasted until just after Christmas.
I pulled into Collingwood about five years later and looked for a place to park by so that I could stand and look at the water. I was on a timeline, so I pulled in to the parking lot of a Canadian Tire that was closed. It was Sunday afternoon. I drove around the corner of the building and drove to the edge of the parking lot. Got out and stood five feet from some very cold looking waves. Took a deep breath of the lake scent and said, "Okay." Then I turned around and drove back.
The car is an Intrepid, and such a sweet ride.
About three months ago I was back visiting my parents' for the weekend and dad asked if I wanted to take the car out for a spin. So I did. I just pulled out of the driveway and took random paved roads. Two minutes later I realized I felt like seeing water. So instead of turning around at the next intersection like I'd planned to, I just kept going north. Forty five minutes later I was entering Collingwood, thinking about the morning I'd watched the sun rise on a beach not far away.
We had our second grad (highschool formal) at the Cranberry Resort in Collingwood. The first one wasn't technically mine. Half the people in my group of friends, including the girl I was seeing at the time, had fast-tracked and had enough credits to graduate early even though they all came back the following year for OACs. The first grad we had on a ship in the harbour in Toronto.
The following year, the rest of us graduated and decided to have it at the Cranberry. Yes, many of the people in my group had spent the entire year planning the event. I had devised a point system that allowed graduating students to volunteer their time in various fundraisers or in the planning or organization of grad and earn points that went toward decreasing the cost of their tickets. The fundraisers had brought down the price of everybody's tickets.
Six of us had gone in together to get a condo at the resort for two nights, the second night being grad itself. After grad we had stayed up talking all night, reminiscing about highschool and talking about our plans for the future. Shortly before dawn someone suggested going to watch the sun rise at the beach over the water.
Everyone wanted to do it, but the problem was that Collingwood is not exactly in the best place in relation to the water to do something like that.
So we piled in the car and raced the sun to a beach far enough west and north along the shore for the sun to actually come up over the water. We didn't make it and had pulled over to some random beach just in time to enjoy the sunrise, though not over the water. Nonetheless, it was the perfect capper to a great night.
We all got quiet and contemplative and separated from each other, finding our own pieces of the beach to explore and brood over and do whatever.
About an hour later, the girl I was dating - yes, the same one I'd been dating the year before at grad and had been dating for two years before that - dumped me.
I'd been a prick. Her closest friend was a guy in our group that she had once confessed having romantic feelings for. The fact the guy was gay didn't do anything to ward off my jealousy. I didn't take this well. It was an ongoing problem between us for a bad eight months before grad. He was one of the six of us on the beach.
I brought it up again that morning. I don't remember what I said or what triggered it, but it ended with her ending us. I didn't take this well either. I spent a great deal of time making a fool of myself, trying to convince her not to dump me. Essentially begging. Finally I accepted it and we all made the hour long drive back to our small town and to our respective houses. That wasn't a fun drive for anybody.
I remember sitting by the pool that night, my face wet. All I wanted was to call her and beg. Again. Thinking back now, I can't believe that.
I didn't though. I swore not to call her. If this was what she wanted, so be it. Lesson learned.
Five days later she called me and asked me to take her back. I did, though I shouldn't have. We were already done, but we were both too scared of a future without each other to admit it. We lasted until just after Christmas.
I pulled into Collingwood about five years later and looked for a place to park by so that I could stand and look at the water. I was on a timeline, so I pulled in to the parking lot of a Canadian Tire that was closed. It was Sunday afternoon. I drove around the corner of the building and drove to the edge of the parking lot. Got out and stood five feet from some very cold looking waves. Took a deep breath of the lake scent and said, "Okay." Then I turned around and drove back.
will you pick me up and drive me to work? It's only 10 minute walk from my place, but you have car - c'mon!?!
Posted by
Chris |
Friday, August 06, 2004 11:24:00 p.m.