They say that there’s a first time for everything.

The first bike ride (without the training wheels).

The first kiss (also without training wheels).

The first job, first apartment, first breakup.

Oh yeah, and the first time you ride in the back of a police cruiser.

Okay, there might not be a first time for everything.

But seriously? Who in the world would’ve thought that after this many decades of living, there’d still be new things and first times?

For the record (and for my mom, who I’m pretty sure is reading this) I did not get arrested. Although, to be honest, the story might just be a bit more interesting if I had.

But no. No arrest. No handcuffs or Miranda rights or fingerprinting or whatever it is that they do when you’re arrested.

But I did get to ride in the back of a police cruiser.

See, there was this noise that my car was making. It was not a good noise.

Really. Not. A. Good. Noise.

So of course I knew something was up, being the keen car-noise-identifier that I am. (Just kidding…usually I just turn the volume up on the radio.)

But sometimes you can’t ignore the noises. Or the jerking of the wheels. Or the slightly foreboding sense that I-really-shouldn’t-drive-this-car-because-it-might-break-down-at-any-moment.

What I really thought was that the brakes might just break down at any moment. Which, incidentally, turned out to be true. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Back to me and the cruiser.

Obviously I had to take my car in to the shop and visit the mechanic who everyone in this town knows by name.

Yeah, this is the sort of town where everyone knows everyone by name.

Oh, and I also needed an oil change.

Generally I just bring the car in and wait while that’s done. So naturally I figured that I’d bring in my car, have the oil changed and have whatever it was that needed to be done to make the not-good-noise go away done, and just wait in the waiting room. Which is not really a waiting room at all, just a corner of the garage with a few chairs. Oh, and magazines. Mostly outdated, but still. Anyway, I wasn’t bummed out about having to sit for a while. I brought my laptop so that I could get some work done.

Only I didn’t get any work done. And I wasn’t invited to wait in the waiting-room-which-isn’t-really-a-waiting-room.

Apparently this was gonna take a bit longer than an hour.

Okay. Fine. I got this.

I live a mere five (maybe four?) miles away from the shop.

I decide that I can walk. No problem. It will save me having to walk on the treadmill later, so yeah. Sure. No problem.

Only it was a problem. Because I brought my laptop.

Oh yeah, and it was kinda raining.

Not pouring-down-rain or anything. More like drizzling-a-bit-and-thinking-about-raining.

But still.

The thing is – I had no choice. There was literally no one available to rescue me.

So I walk.

And I walk.

And the rain holds off. Which is really nice of it, I think. I can tell it wants to just pour itself down, but it doesn’t. I mentally appreciate this for at least two miles.

Then I pass the police station, where I notice an officer getting himself into his cruiser and I sort of half-think that it’d be awesome if he’d give me a ride home.

I don’t wave or walk towards him or ask. Because this is not who I am.

Still, a dozen steps more and he’s slowing down beside me and asking if I need a ride.

Ummm. Yes, please. And thank you.

I mention that I just dropped my car off and it’s gonna take longer than I thought. He tells me to hop in and asks if the mechanic (whom he mentions by name because everyone in this town knows everyone in this town) is back from vacation, and I say yes, he came home yesterday.

And just like that I get to ride in the back of a police cruiser, and my laptop stays dry and I’m spared the climb up the ginormous hill I live on.

And just like that I get to see again that people are kind.

And it’s kinda neat to be reminded of that.

Even if it’s not the first time.

~xo,
LuAnne