Recently, I was waiting at one of those forever lights to
make a left into the local grocery store plaza. You know the kind. The ones
where there are somehow ninety different ways people can come and go? The ones
where when you get there with the green arrow in your favor, you feel like
you’ve won the lottery? Yea. One of those.
I got there just as my arrow turned red. But, it was okay.
It was an absolutely beautiful day. Temperatures were in the mid 60s, skies
were as blue as all get out, that fall smell was in the air, leaves on
surrounding trees were vibrant in the warm palette. There was nothing remotely
bad about the day.
So, I was just sitting there. Enjoying it all. When, in the
opposite lane, I saw a glimpse of stainless steel. Could it be? Really?
Stainless steel? Yep. There it was, driving past me. The confirming DMC on the
front grill. I gasped or ooh-ed or something I’m sure of it. And I turned my
head to follow it as far as I could swivel, trying to take it all in.
“Sweet,” definitely came from my lips.
It was a DeLorean. A DeLorean! You know, the car from the
movie, Back To The Future? With Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly? Who goes back in
a DeLorean time machine and has to get his parents to meet so he can be born? The
DeLorean with the flux capacitor? And the 1.21 gigawatts of electricity needed
to start it in 1955? The one with, “Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need
roads,” DeLorean? I happen to love DeLoreans. And, that movie.
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| I hope I never look that old when I get in and out of my DeLorean... |
All that shiny, stainless steel. The clean lines of an
Italian designed car. The gull-wing doors. It has gull-winged doors! Ooh, how I
would love a car with those. You could squeeze into a parking spot with only a
foot of clearance and get out with more room than you could with a “normal”
door. And, I’d love to hear ‘psshhh’ every time I opened my door. Like I had
been vacuum-sealed inside. Gosh, I hope that isn’t just a movie sound effect…
So, I’m still sitting at the forever light, windows half
down, warm breeze blowing in, my mind buzzing about the DeLorean. Thinking back
to how when I was a kid, the neighbor through the woods on the street way
behind ours had one. Must have been brand new. It was the early 80s. The only
time they were production made (totally brand new that is...they still make 'em!). I’d ride my bike over there
often trying to catch glimpses of the car. I was mesmerized by it. Sure beat
the giant “wood” paneled, gargantuan, behemoth of a station wagon we had in our
driveway. Then, the movie came out in 1985…those were the days.
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| My dvd with sticker goop still on the cover. I'll have to scrape that off. |
In my head I’m thinking how I can’t wait to tell Five Eleven
about my spotting when I get home or even tweet about it. I’m honestly excited
by it. Made my good day even better. But then, as I finally get the green arrow
and the traffic beside me gets to go straight through, someone (in a
non-descript, plain ol’ car) yells at me just as they are past me...
“Faggot!”
Really? Faggot? Directed at me? What? You wait until you are
past me to call me that? Coward. Seriously still? Faggot? I’m blown away. Hurt
actually. I guess coming out later in life and living in a progressive area, I was
never exposed to such a derogatory remark. At least to my face (well, even this
wasn’t that).
So, as I was waiting at the signal, thinking only good
thoughts about one of my dream cars and playing movie quotes in my head,
someone was behind me, focusing their energy on my rainbow peace sign,
supportive gay marriage bumper sticker (which did pass and we do have legally
in this state. Get over it), and thinking negative things. Really?
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| Obviously, they didn't read this one... |
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| Were these what prompted the 'Faggot' slur? |
Life is so short. And, as I know, your life and things you
can do, can change in a moment. Why not focus on positives and world peace and
treating all people nicely? You know, that fluffy bunny, happy rainbow stuff
that I’m all about? Gosh, if only we could go back to the future and change
things and perceptions. But, what would we use as a time machine?
@Ybbeige
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