the Ride Home

I've always liked the ride home. As far back as I can remember I have liked the ride home. Even as a little girl riding in the back seat while my dad smoked his cigarettes and my mom talked in hushed tones I liked the ride home. Staring out the window and shutting out what was in the front seat I would dream, imagine and fantasize. And when I was really little I would pretend to be sleeping when we arrived home so I could be carried to bed.
As I grew older I moved to the front seat and the person in the driver seat changed. Frequently. Sometimes nightly. I never cared to be the driver. I liked to settle into the seat, quietly. Listen to whatever music this man driving the car was trying to impress me with. Often a little tipsy or some other such thing. I would watch raindrops slide down the window or look at the moon. Stare into swirling snowflakes and stare into peoples lighted windows as we drove past. Depending what I saw I would sometimes pretend to be living their lives for a minute or two. I would remember. Old friends, broken hearts, hearts I broke. Where are they now and who is in their passenger seat at this hour and what are they looking at? I really wasn't even aware of who was next to me.
I would wonder. Would this be the last time I would be riding home with this individual. Would this be the only time. Would I be riding home with him forever. It would frequently annoy me when the individual at hand would try to talk and make me carry on a conversation. Let me be. Let me have my moment. I remember when I became aware of this "riding home phenomenon" that I so much enjoyed. I was only 19 years old. A smile had made its way from my face to one of the boys in the bar. It was closing time and he was taking me home. He was a 38 year old Austrian ski instructor and had saved me his passenger seat for the night. I watched the houses go by. It was cold. A few snowflakes danced in front of his headlights. At the time I was living in a frozen mountain town and at 2:00am it was very cold. Part of me wished I could pretend to be asleep so this man could carry me to bed. I can't remember his name.
This youtube link goes perfect with this posting....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm3lWq4s5-U
"And I'll have you back by break of day
I'm going your way anyway
And if you'd like to come along
I'll be yours for a song
I know you are waiting and I know that it is not for me
But I'm here and I'm ready and I've saved you the passenger seat
I won't be your last dance just your last goodnight"