Date Day

My wife and I went on a date today. We do that sometimes just to remember...well, just to remember.

What was the occasion? Our son had given us a gift certificate to a nice restaurant on the Jersey shore and today we decided to use it. The weather was nice for a change, sunny, not too cold, perfect for a drive south on the Garden State Parkway. Which is why I'm writing this.

Here we were, two people of a certain age, tooling down the parkway just to the right of the outside lane, i.e., the passing lane, cruise control set at a tad over the speed limit of 65 mph. And cars are whizzing past us on the left AND on the right. I felt like a rock in the middle of a mountain stream.

What's your hurry, buddy, I asked ? Why don't you leave earlier to make sure you get to wherever you're going in one piece? Of course, only my wife could hear me. Because traffic was relatively light we were spared the reckless zig-zaggers who dart from lane to lane.

We arrived at the restaurant and returned home safely after a delightful lunch and a brief walk on the boardwalk, shortened by a rising ocean chill.

We're glad we're out of the rat race, no longer multi-tasking or compelled to acquire the latest communications gizmo with all its apps. By tomorrow, today's gizmos will be as outdated as we are.

We like it this way. We can date when we want to and enjoy lunch at our leisure.

Very nice.