My Otis Drive

While I was packing up my stuff to leave work yesterday, I felt a little pinch of excitement somewhere underneath my heart, yes, physiologically speaking, it was a ticklish feeling buried somewhere in the middle of my chest (“kilig” is more like it…hey, how do you explain “kilig” in English???).  I just remember that it came a millisecond after the image of driving along Otis Drive flashed in my mind.  Yeah, I felt excited to drive! I was excited to drive!!!

Let’s backtrack a little bit here.  Eversince I started driving here in the US , my self-esteem seemed to dwindle so many notches down where driving is concerned.  I have always been brave and adventurous in the Philippines , driving my Honda CRV with only one hand, left hand outstretched, right elbow resting on the armrest, both feet outstretched with the seat pulled so far away from the steering wheel you’ll never think it was a female driver that owns it.  Then for some reason, the process of re-learning rules over here (and actually respecting them) while in so many instances unconsciously violating some and then failing the DMV test, made me develop this irrational fear of driving…or maybe fear of getting chased or pulled over by cops? Or is it fear of getting the other people on the road upset?… I have not even had a big share of freeway driving yet!

Suddenly, like a comforting hand, Otis Drive is slowly pulling me away from this insane cowardice which I was beginning to succumb to.  Shame on me, I have always been Wonder Woman!  There is nothing grand about Otis Drive, except that it is a wide and peaceful stretch.  A single turn to the left would bring me to South Shore shopping center, where some of my favorite stores are (the only one in our area actually).  Down to the very end brings me to the park and the beach, and a single turn to the right brings me the sight of a welcoming row of oddly tall palm trees. Nothing as grand as other places I've seen. Nothing as awesome as other paradises I've known.  But this one attaches itself to my heart as a special human being would.  This, along with other things, makes me feel excited, welcome, comfortable and so "at home" as days and months go by in my life here in the United States...These things make me look forward to each day, some make me cruise beyond my comfort zones a lot easier...a trip to Westifield Mall in SF, lazy sundays combing estate sales and antique shows, a good hip-hop class at 24-hour Fitness, some good extra-long conversations with our senior customers at work that make them happy, a long drive to LA with my husband, stopping at Harris Ranch and back,  Ontario Mills Mall even without buying a single thing, saying good morning to my new friend at work, Monica, who starts her job 30 minutes earlier than I do, dressing up for church and having a sunday american brunch at Tilly's with Aldred...I can go on for a long time about this.

This is not a list of feel-good things.  It's not a list of things that make me happy.  These are simply inexplicable little and shallow things that excite me, drive me and make me look forward even more to life in general.  Like little weapons in times of need. I'm stuffing my pocket with a lot of it.

What is your Otis Drive?