Cars in the distance

It was a cool evening. Not cold, but cool enough to warrant being wrapped in my cozy sweatshirt in August. My favorite summer evening weather! I sat on the deck listening to the crickets and the sound of waves breaking on the other side of the dunes. The occasional distant sound of a car reminded me of my childhood. There was something nostalgic about the rumbling sound of car tires rolling along the pavement. It reminded me of pulling into my grandparents' house after a long car trip. The east coast is alive with night sounds. You can hear bugs if you listen for them. The west coast didn't have so many bugs. It was weirdly quiet. Of course there's always a trade off because here you get eaten alive. I remember nights in California, lying on the grass at night and not being afraid of the bugs. Yes, that was childhood, but it was also San Diego.

I remember pulling into my grandparents' driveway and half waking up. I remember the porch light and the screen door greeting us with a squeak. And there were the lightning bugs. Such a magical part of visiting my grandparents' home. And the smells. The smells of the night air and the smells of their kitchen. I specifically remember the smell of Cracklin Oat Bran wafting from the pantry stairs: slightly sweet, with a hint of nutty earth smell... probably mingled with a bit of rancid. I don't know if they ate it themselves or if it was there for us, but we didn't visit often so I hope that it was in flux.

We didn't visit often and yet, the sound of a lone car on the road reminded me of arriving after a long trip in the car. I must have a specific memory that all the other memories hang on, for it wasn't a frequent occurrence.

Sitting now, close to the shore was a more frequent happening. I could hear the crickets and the waves and yet my ears were tuning into the cars passing infrequently along the boulevard. That dull hush of passing cars will always remind me of the end of a long trip. That sound is the end of a long day. The sound that draws you in and says "Welcome traveler. Rest now."