Maybe Gump was right...

Maybe Forrest Gump said it best:
“My momma always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”
We all know that’s pretty much how it goes.
You have your vision of what a moment, a day or even a lifetime will bring, only to be brought back to reality with a bit of a thud.
Sometimes it’s a dire life-changing situation; sometimes it’s something that, eventually, you’ll look back on and laugh.
At least you hope so.
That’s kind of what happened last Sunday, when my daughter and I traveled up to Catawissa to visit with my sister and her family, and then take in a photo show in Bloomsburg that included works by one of my nieces.
The day was chilly, but beautiful. We made good time on our trip up there, stopping occasionally so my daughter could shoot a few photos.
We had a great visit and the photos featured in the display were wonderful to examine and enjoy. I know I’m prejudiced, but I liked those by my niece the best.
By late afternoon it was time to start the trek home. Again, a few stops for some photos — you can never go through Centralia without stopping, can you? — and then it would be a clear drive home.
At least that was the plan. That was the “chocolate” of choice.
But after pulling out onto Route 61 in Ashland, about two hours from here, for one last photo, plans changed.
Immediately.
Apparently the car decided it was time for the alternator to die and so we were going nowhere. At least I was able to pull back into another parking spot.
And thank goodness for my AAA membership. A tow truck operator arrived fairly quickly and yes, we were allowed to ride with him.
That’s where it got interesting.
He had a crew cab truck and my daughter volunteered to sit in the back. But the truck also had another feature — the driver’s black Lab, who accompanied him everywhere, he said.
She was sweet, but obviously a “farm” dog, by her aroma. And she was very friendly.
As for the truck driver, let’s say he also was interesting. He was a retired police officer and was a little “rough around the edges,” you could say.
But he also regaled us with recipes and his love for cooking. Then he’d call home to check about a loaded gun he had left in his car or say something else that took us aback. But that would quickly be followed by comments about the beautiful flowers and trees, or baby talk to his beloved dog.
Yes, it was an interesting two-hour ride.
But as my daughter told me when I realized we’d be making the trip with a dog on board, “Just think of this as a story we can tell later.”
So consider this just a taste of that story — from quite a varied box of chocolates.

P.S. THANK YOU to all the kind readers who helped “bail me out” as I raised funds for the MDA!!