Once upon a time, there was a woman who loved her coffee. Sometimes she had dreams of tuxedo shirt-wearing men delivering coffee to her each morning. Most mornings, she faced the reality of making her own coffee. Occasionally her eldest son would make her coffee, and those were very good days.
On this particular morning, she was freshly showered and looking forward to the first cup of the day. The water was heating in the kettle when her youngest son said, "I'm heading to the bank. Would you like to join me for the drive?"
The woman pondered long and hard between staying home to make her beloved coffee or joining her son for some fresh air and the drive. Hmmm....would she or wouldn't she?
NOTE: A major decision is about to be made
The woman opted to go with her son and wait to drink her first cup of the day. What could go wrong? The weather had been especially nice, and it would be good to get out for a drive for the twenty or so minutes it would take to complete her son's errand. So she put on some shoes, grabbed her phone, and headed out the door.
**HINT: This is the part of the story where things go wrong. **
Her son had no idea what he was in for. Neither did the woman (although she is 50+ and should know herself by now)
It all started when they were backing out of the driveway. The woman reminded her son of the construction that was blocking the main road. Then her son reminded her of the road work on one of the side roads they usually take. She reminded him there was a detour option, so they set off. They approached the detour section where a construction crew member was directing traffic.
"Remember to put your blinker on to state your intention so the construction worker knows what you plan to do." <-This was unnecessary since her son is an excellent driver and has an exemplary driving record. Her son took it all in stride.
Then the woman turned her ire to the "reckless drivers" on the road. Traffic became the focus of her criticisms and complaints. One can only wonder what her son was thinking at this point. We can assume he may have regretted inviting his mother to join him.
Even at the bank, while waiting in the ATM drive-thru the woman had things to say about the lines and lane choice. Once the youngest son had completed his transaction, he pulled out of the lane and then stopped. His mother looked up to see why. He was waving another drive to go ahead of him. He's a courteous lad like that. The woman said, "Just go!" to which her son replied, "It's okay Mom, we're in no hurry." At which point, the woman realized what she had been doing the entire drive. She started to laugh as she watched the cute young woman driving a cute little car pull ahead of them to leave the bank.
NOTE: This is the part where things get better
The mood lightened as she laughed and apologized to her son for her behavior. He was a good sport and quite gracious about the whole thing. The woman realized that it was foolish for her to venture out into the world without having her first sip of the dark elixir, which breathes life and good humor into her day.
Once they arrived home, the woman immediately made and drank her coffee. And once again, all was right in the world.
The End....or To Be Continued?
