#mini5280

Today’s drive was like a tonic for me.

Driving on dry roads under a blue sky with the scenery in that delicate balance of dead brown winter grasses, dark emerald evergreens and stark white snowdrifts. Today we rode a knife’s edge of earth, breathed the crisp air of spring, looked out of a monochromatic landscape and welcomed blue skies into our lives again.

For me, I realized that I have been hidden from the world. I had a passenger, no scratch that, my co-pilot, he was a help on the drive, not just cargo. We talked of many things and caught up, but throughout it all, it brought to my mind that I have not done much lately.

I counted the events that pre-dated this. We had the Mini Luau, of which I attended, but before that? Hmm. New Years? No, I stayed home with in-laws. Christmas? No, home with Mom. Thanksgiving? Yes! I did lots! At home, the whole family came to me. How about looking at the small things? My wife says I focus too much on grand gestures and forget the small stuff. I worked - from home -

<facepalm>

I haven’t been out much.

This brought to light just how introverted I have been and for how long. My life has been on pause since about Thanksgiving. Things in my life altered then and I didn’t realize how deeply that affected me. I withdrew and hunkered down, protecting myself. It saved me from pain, but I saw that you can’t grow like that. I was hibernating this winter.

Wasabi (my car) and I have been on grocery runs and my once-a-week trip to the office. That’s about it.

So today, we got ourselves into Sport mode. We fueled up and chased the sun, just for a while. We played on our asphalt jungle gyms and came home for supper with stories for our loved ones and pictures to share with friends.

But on the inside, we reach up with our green shoots. Our fingers play in the sun and we feel the heat reach down our arms and into our chests. Soon we will stand tall in the sun. The spring is here. We are blooming.

Today I took a drive with Mini5280 through Rocky Mountain National Park. We got the opportunity to drive above the clouds. Also, Wasabi, my Mini turned 30k miles today.