Rambling …

Note: The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

A friend, (let’s call her “Pat,”) sent me a rambling email – and I thought of what a cool word that really is. Dating myself here – remember Steve Martin playing his banjo spelling out “R-A-M-B-L-I-N-G, Rambling!” That is really what most of today was. In the car rambling, rambling on in my emails, rambling in my thoughts.

I thought of the old family car we had when I was growing up, an American Motors deep green station wagon, “Rambler!” My poor dad, (let’s call him, “Jerry,”) tried to teach me to drive a stick shift in it. It had a shift on the column. I might have learned it easier if I would have known “three on the tree,” as my gear head husband, (let’s call him, “Andy,”) told me it was affectionately called. I hated shifting that way, and did not ramble anywhere in there! However, the back seat came out and we would pull it out and use it as our sofa at the pond when we were fishing. Childhood friends will remember that! (Let’s call them “Ann and her siblings?)

Of course, the general public is wondering at this point, “Did she ever learn to drive a manual transmission?” She did. She learned with a “four on the floor” Opel Cadet Rallye. See? She could have learned if she knew “three on the tree.” Rhymes are useful.

Anyway, the Rambler gave us many memories – and really, rambling should do that.