Leaving Something Behind
We as humans often like to know that, when we're gone, we will leave a legacy behind us. I'm here to tell you about what I left behind at my college. Now, I don't mean to get all abstract and intangible. I've definitely left something behind that is physical, visible, and noticeable. The summer before my junior year of college, I purchased a car. Not just any car, but a Honda Civic. Sadly, I'm not rich, so it was hardly new (as I would come to find out, it was ummm...poorly taken care...).
On Labor Day of that year, I drove down to the cafeteria because I liked my car, I didn't want to walk, and I could. I got to the Caf and realized that I hadn't brought my meal card. So, I got back in my car and began driving out of the parking lot. Now, what happened next will only make sense if I first describe this particular parking lot. It's a long strip that dead ends into a wall. The exit is a sharp left turn right before this wall. I was driving down the strip and nearing the end, when I decided that I should put my seat belt on. It wasn't being particularly cooperative that day (don't you just hate it when that happens? Sometimes the seat belt just clicks right in, but there's always that time when it takes a full minute to fit the stupid thing into the slot...frustration). I was fumbling with my seat belt and moving ever so slightly forward because I knew that I still had space before the wall. Unfortunately, it took me longer to get the belt into its place than I anticipated. Just as the belt clicked into place, my car jerked to a halt. I had hit the wall! Fortunately for me, my car wasn't damaged. As a result of this mishap, there is a streak of black paint on the otherwise tan wall. At least I know that I have left something behind. Smiley.
~The Piebald Penguin
P.S. Dinner wasn't even very good. Sad face.
