| | We recently needed our first car repair since moving into our new house. We only moved a few miles, but as a one-car family it is easier to live within walking distance of our mechanic, so it was time for a new one. Brad asked around and found someone a mile and a half away. Brad spoke with the mechanic and arranged for us to drop off the car. As the avid walker in the family, it was my job to drive the car to the mechanic’s shop and walk home while Brad stayed with the kids.
The only problem was that the friend who recommended the mechanic also mentioned a rumor that alligators live in the swamp that lies between our neighborhood and the mechanic’s shop. I had to take the road through the swamp to get there and back. Driving through the swamp was no problem, but walking back was a different matter. Brad was sure it was a groundless rumor and was not concerned. Just before leaving I did a quick internet search on alligators in our swamp, in Montgomery, and in general. I did not find anything about alligators in our swamp, but there were several mentions for Montgomery, and I learned several useful facts about what to do in case of attack. There is no need to run in a zigzag. That is apparently an urban legend. It is best to run straight and fast away from the water, in case you ever need to know. I was comforted by the fact that a healthy, fit adult should have no problem outrunning an alligator. I will not go into details about what to do when finding oneself in an alligator’s jaws. That information was less comforting.
Montgomery is not designed for walking as a mode of transportation. People who want to walk drive to a good place for it, get out and walk, and then drive home. It was difficult to cross the busy two-lane road outside of the repair shop to get to the appropriate side. There was no crosswalk in sight. After that I walked along the grassy shoulder a good distance from the road, but drivers were still concerned that I might suddenly jump out in front of them so they slowed down considerably and steered to the center of the road. As I approached the swamp, I began watching diligently for signs of life. The shoulder got steeper, damper, and rougher, so my attention was divided. I was balancing between keeping a safe distance between oncoming traffic and myself and between unsavory swamp life and myself. It went back and forth depending on what scared me more at the moment in question. When I came to the first bridge, there was no way across except for the car lanes. I had to wait until there was a break in traffic and make a run for it. Fortunately it was a short bridge. The second bridge was pretty much the same as the first. The bridges were an especially nerve-wracking time since so much of my attention was turned toward traffic and away from what may be lurking in the swamp, although it was always in the back of my mind creating stress.
After the bridges, I emerged from the swamp safe and sound much to my relief. In this stretch of the walk good, old-fashioned, Southern gentlemanliness kicked in. Not one but two trucks driven by middle-aged men stopped to offer me rides. The conversation went the same way both times. The driver offered me a ride, and I politely declined. The driver then assured me that he meant me no harm and just wanted to give me a ride. I politely declined again and pointed out that I enjoy walking and it was not far to go. I did enjoy the walk once I was past the threat of the alligators.
When the car was repaired, Brad asked me if I was ready to pick it up. I replied, “No, you go this time.” |
| | Posted 5/10/2009 9:43 PM - 14 Views - 2 eProps - 2 comments
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