KITE-FLYING
CHAUFFER
Bringing out the rebel
Doctor’s
orders—Howard could no longer drive. I could see it tore him up
inside, so I cut some slack one day and let him get behind the wheel.
We went in his red car to the recycle center just a few miles outside
of town. While Howard’s wife was alive, she wouldn’t let him
get a red car because she thought the color was too sporty. After she
passed away, he got a red car. He swore it was the only color the dealer
had available. It’s funny how those things work out.
I drove Howard to Sears when his lawn tractor
was on its last leg. The tractor was the only machinery he was allowed
to drive, and we joked how he should take it out on the road to get around
town. We looked at different models, trying to find one that was comparable
to what he already had, but we left with an upgraded Craftsman DLT 3000.
Color: Red.
The time I spent with Howard is priceless.
We shared stories and learned from one another. We sparked each other’s
life. At the end of my residential stay with him, the doctor had given
him approval to drive just short distances into town, but no further.
That’s all Howard needed to hear. He had his independence back again.
Drive on Howard, drive on.
Handywoman's
Companion
1. The Construction
Infrastructure: to the beat
FEATURED
PROJECT:
Various
clients—Outer Banks, North Carolina [2005]
Prism Kites
There's plenty of good days
for flying conditions at the Outer Banks, NC.
