Monday, July 26, 2004
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One autumn afternoon during a visit to Terre Haute, I had parked my rent-a-car several blocks from where I happened to meet Toad, a friend from the old days. That's why I said yes when (after a little reminiscing) he offered me a ride back to my car. Once inside the cluttered and dirty old sedan (I didn't know anyone still drove them) he said he had planned to go out to Deming Park and I said sure. From my point of view, one can't visit Deming Park too often. So we decided that we would cruise on out to the park and then back to my car.
I'm not a frequent passenger, but it seemed to me that Toad was cruising too close - way too close - to the parked cars on the right side of Ohio. I hate passengers who criticize the driver but I was getting more than a little uncomfortable. On one level, I was enjoying the conversation but on an increasingly important level I needed to speak up about the driving. I didn't want to start a fight with this old friend I hadn't seen in many years but I finally said "I don't know what's wrong but you've been way too far to the right and now you've gone into the grass." He had strayed off the Deming Park pavement into the grass slightly.
Toad shrugged and said I could drive and continued the good-old-days conversation. A moment later, he pulled over to a shelter and said that he hoped I didn't mind but he was going to roll a "doobey".
I didn't let my panic show much. The potential Terre Haute Tribune Star headline that popped into my head, "Elders Busted at Park", remained unspoken. I know I squirmed a little but all I could think to say at the prospective offer of a toke from the Toad's soon to be rolled joint was "I'll drive".
An anti-drug lecture was out of the question since (if I remember right) I rolled Toad's first joint for him many years ago.
I've heard that today's marijuana is many times more powerful than it was in the very early 70's when I last inhaled. That idea plus the recent realization that despite my bodyweight I only need a half dose of medicines, combined to lead me to sit this one out on a table on the shelter. I was too far from my car to walk home.
I became interested in a squirrel collecting nuts at the base of a nearby tree.
Toad came to sit on another table in the shelter to smoke his creation down to the nub, I drove his car back to mine, said I hoped to see him later and we parted.
What a square I have become.
