This is a wonderful life lesson...perhaps one of the best any of us can ever learn, that I was reminded of today...brought to you by Subaru, Mountain House Bar and Grill, Fisher's Towing, and Texas Roadhouse..
Our destination was a friends' wedding. It was being held at a beautiful family property and cabin in rural Pennsylvania. It was requested that everyone dress casually for a country setting, which was refreshing and even fun to anticipate. So, we were in jeans...which was advantageous for us, although for reasons other than we originally thought. We were deeply sorry that we missed the wedding, as we had been looking forward to it for some time. But here is where the lesson comes in...
We managed to make the best of things, laugh off the day's mishaps, and in the end, we actually had fun. It was a weird, unexpected, left field demented kind of fun, but it was fun, just the same. Jess' car broke down at the crest of the steep mountain we were driving over...we pulled over at the establishment which was, of all things, a biker bar...like a real one, decked out with signature Harley Davidson orange paint (what is it with ORANGE this weekend for me?) and black Harley Davidson curtains on the windows. As soon as I sat down I was immediately redecorating the place in my head. Within minutes of arriving, and finding out how long it would take to get a tow truck for the car, we had already come to terms with the fact we were going to miss the wedding. There was just nothing we could do about that. We accepted it, cursed a bit, and then decided to make ourselves comfortable while we waited for the tow truck. I surrendered the tie and waistcoat and swapped my dress shoes for a pair of Vans I had brought along for later, and prayed that I looked less conspicuous. Jess, her husband and I filed into the un-air conditioned unknown of the bar.
The Bar Mistress came up and asked me what I wanted to drink. In a panic, I asked for a rum and Coke. She told me they don't serve hard liquor. This was a beer joint. I wasn't sure what to do and in my mind, that song by Cycle Sluts from Hell, "I Wish You Were a Beer" was playing in my head. Flummoxed, I suspected to her that they probably didn't have wine. I was right. So I just blurted out, "Just give me something fruity." She laughed and said, "Fruity and bubbly?" and I said, "Yes, that's perfect." Thus, I was introduced to whatever this beer thing was that I drank two of during our four hour wait for the tow truck...and I learned that in a pinch, Grapefruit Leinenkugel Shandy isn't bad. At least the next time I am stranded at a biker bar, I know exactly what to order. Our friend Nick came to rescue us and hung out while we waited for the tow truck, which took four hours, and that's a whole other story. But it was still fun. Weird circumstances, but fun. I mean, can you imagine a more off the chart place for us to wind up, especially ME...than a biker bar? Here is something else we were reminded of...bikers, although they can look intimidating, are some of the nicest people. My theory is that perhaps they realize they can seem intimidating to others, so they are especially polite and kind to make others feel at ease. All the patrons we chatted with were friendly and genuine. It brought to mind the "don't judge a book by its cover" adage. Part of the journey.
Hours later we finally got to the dealership, deposited the crippled car, and wound up back in Chambersburg at Texas Roadhouse to get something to eat. And it was fun. I also learned that not one of the guys working in this place was not hot. I mean, they must have some rule that if they aren't at work, they have to be at the gym. I didn't see anything less than a "7" body, and I have very high standards when it comes to that sort of thing. I suppose it stands to reason...if your uniform is tight jeans and snug T-shirts, then buff is the only way to be. I've made a note of this and plan on breaking down myself directly outside of a Texas Roadhouse, but next time I will be better prepared, with a tight shirt of my own...
...but back on track...point is, this is definitely not the kind of day any of us had planned, not how or where we expected to end up when we woke this morning, but strange circumstances brought us together anyway and it was fun, because it was totally off the cuff, much of it beyond our control, and so we just adapted to the surroundings and decided to enjoy the journey. I mean, sometimes, what else can you do? It's life. It's not scripted. In today's world, most of us are so commitment-bound that we have schedules and plans for everything, and feel out of sorts if we relinquish control and allow things to happen organically. I know that I am guilty of this, and I think that when a day like today happens, it's a higher powers way of telling us to slow down, take a breath, and just ease up a bit...let life just unfold on its own a little, and enjoy the ride.
So, today was definitely different. In some ways, it could be viewed as a total fail, but it ended up yielding fun times anyway...the crazy journey led to a destination of fun...and to me, that's not a total fail at all. That's pretty amazing and special.
Enjoy the journey...
- JPD
- JPD
