The Little Buick Headlight and the Great Gray Bridge

The officer was very polite, confident, and young when he asked for my license and proof of insurance.  He had noted the bottle of Australian wine in the cupholder, and saw it was unopened.  He asked where we were going.  "Home," I said, "to Plano."


Where had my sister and I been?  "We were having supper at a friend's house."  I considered mentioning the fabulous shrimp Louie salad, and the odd recipe for Lemon Crunch that used pecans and cornflakes.

The officer was patient while I dug around in the glove box for the current proof of insurance, then explained the drivers' side headlight was out.  Got a new headlight bulb at Auto Zone first thing this morning.  My sister insisted the used bulb looked like a lighthouse.

 The Little Red Lighthouse is a precious talisman from childhood.  My parents brought it back to me from New York City in 1961.

© 2011 Nancy L. Ruder