Here’s a quick map I drew of an intersection that I go through a lot on my way home.    I’m not an artist, but I thought I could draw it better than explain it.  It’s the general idea.

The red lines are the route I’m usually on.  It’s a gradual hill to the first X and steeper to the second X.  The four lane highway is flat.  The black O by the first X is supposed to be a stop sign.  The people coming up the hill from the bottom of the paper have the right of way.  So during busy times of day you can really end up waiting for a while through the stop sign and the lights.  Sometimes I’ve gone right through and sometimes I’ve waited for-e-ver!

I remember riding with my Mom on our way home from the store.  I didn’t pay any attention to the car, the road, the light, or anything.  I just rode along.

Then I remember learning to drive standard in my Dad’s van with him in the passenger seat.  I was scared I would roll into the car behind me or stall in the middle of the roads, but I made it.

I remember waiting in my little teal Cavalier, singing to my favorite tape, running my AC, just drumming my fingers and waiting for the light.

Next was my husband’s big step-side truck with a leaky sunroof.  I’d dropped him off at work and had the truck for the day.  At that intersection I remember sitting and sweating because the AC was broken.  My leg was sore from pushing the clutch, and I was still nervous about stalling or rolling on the hill.

Today I drove our Suburban to the second in line position and listened to my children slurping juice boxes and singing along to their CD.

So many stages in my life.  One intersection.  Wonder what I’ll be driving next?

Do you have any familiar intersections in your life?  Any you’ve left behind?