Buckle Up!

I don’t know about other moms, but mine had a special way of working music into the everyday for us. If something could be said, it could also be sung. If something was to be taught, then it was best sung. As a result, when the safety plug for seatbelts aired, she adopted it and we were often reminded with . . .



Just ask my children who are too young to have watched it -- but are not too old to have forgotten their grandmother singing the same to them.

Though she was a strong advocate for a safe ride, Mama often spoke fondly of the days when my dad had rigged a playpen/bed across the back seat of our black Falcon. This sheet of plywood covered the entire back area of the car, had a cutout for the diaper pail, and was covered with a quilted pallet for naptime. Those were the days, huh?

Even if we could legally ride unbelted, I would still buckle. But, you know, I think I would have a hard time convincing a couple of my friends that this is true.

On my recent trip to the Pacific Northwest (see sidebar), buckling up became a bit of a conversation generator. I suppose I have a bit of a routine when I’m driving: get my stuff where it goes, buckle up, drive -- in that order. As a passenger with an inordinate amount of stuff, I was slow to “click it” during the first few days of my trip. My routine was in need of adjustment, to say the least.

The morning of our first excursion laid the foundation for my newly hatched reputation for lawlessness. SHH at the wheel, we took off for an adventure. I was getting settled and decided to move to the middle of the back seat right about the same time that my beloved driver decided to pull into the Starbucks parking lot. One quick turn sent the unbuckled me back to my original seat, and tossed my little stuffed companion onto the floorboard, all fours up!

By the end of the week, I had this buckle-up-first-settle-in-later thing down – but something tells me it will take years to convince SHH and Triple T that I really do voluntarily buckle up. This might require several trips – first impressions are pretty strong!




(This little movie is just my practicing. I am trying to decide how I will post my trip pics. By the way, the song in the background is called, "To Be Held.")