Mood:
sadLiving With Speed
The speed limit on the curve sign says 25mph. I know I can do it at 50. You thought this was about drugs, didn’t you? It isn’t. I learned how to drive at a very young age. Then when I graduated to cars, I found the accelerator. I know there’s a brake down there someplace. But if those folks put all that power under the hood and at my disposal, shouldn’t I use it?
I was a teenager in the sixties. This was the age of muscle cars. We never learned slow. I learned more than speed. I learned my car. By this I mean I learn, with any car I drive, what it can do and where all the parts are at any given time. I know where my right mirror is in relation to everything around me. I can drive within inches of objects on my left or right side. This requires one other ability, good peripheral vision. It also requires the ability to trust yourself behind the wheel. Unfortunately this is just about the only belief I have in me.
Why do I drive so fast? I do it to keep up with my thoughts. But, when my day, my life, is falling apart, I have to out-drive my thoughts. The faster I go the more I have to concentrate on my driving. I go fast enough to ensure my only thinking is concentrated by the lethal bullet now under my control. I’ve never gotten behind the wheel at a time I could possibly lose that concentration. That is when I’ll go as far as I can through a six-pack or case of beer. I don’t drive when I’ve been drinking. This situation has only occurred twice and only justified once. I know how fast I can drive. It is almost guaranteed if ever a time comes that I feel the need to drink heavily then drive, it will be a one-way trip.
This is not a self-doomsday prophecy. I have too many reasons, kids and ladies to prevent it. But it will be a woman that drives me to that point. I’m not speaking of anyone in particular. I’m just saying only a lost love brings out those emotions.
So let’s get off these sad topics and back to the fun part. Driving at high speed has the same thrill as a ride at an amusement park without having to stand in line. Taking curves at double the posted speed is a challenge. But, I don’t automatically go twice as fast as posted. I judge how the car is handling at the faster speeds. The road and traffic also has to be considered.
My driving faster than most is always done safely. I will not do any high speed driving with anyone else in the car. I learned, as a teenager, how to control a vehicle. This was done on the ultimate test bed, gravel roads. Once this was mastered, I took on gravel roads in the winter. By the time I was in a position to drive the freeways in Chicago, I was ready. High speed driving isn’t for everyone. But it is the way for me.
