License and lights.
written by Julie R. Neidlinger 8 comments link this post
Today I renewed my driver's license, and about all I can say about the travesty of paying $10 for a horrible photo that you have to carry around with you is that at least they no longer advertise the weight on the North Dakota license. It's probably hidden somewhere in the bar code on back -- "this one needs to lay off the chocolate!" -- but not out for display on front.
Yes, officer, I may have been speeding, but you'll never know at a glance what else I lie about.
Horrible photo. I don't have to tell you how it goes when it comes time to renew. You know how it all works out. A dark day, indeed.
Stop, turn, hair messed up? Double chin captured. Perfect.
My eyes are opened at an oddly wide angle, making me look like I'm on meth. Five years with this beauty, I thought as I left the building. Five years.
"How'd it go?" an older man said as he saw me looking at my new license.
"Not so great," I replied.
He shook his head. "It never does."
Karate was tough tonight. The others tested for higher belt ranking. I'm not ready for that yet, seeing as how I just started back up, but I still did some of the practice and I was again reminded of all that I had forgotten, with no memory at all of the Japanese words. Sensie called out the instructions in Japanese, which left me fumbling and tripping about, trying to figure out what the others were doing.
I was informed I'd be testing in April. It's a little overwhelming.
Christmas, birthday, Nicaragua, karate test, 5K. Looks like a busy start to the year, I thought. Strange thoughts. Sensei made me a DVD of the Heian Katas (1-5), so at least I can practice at home. I very much appreciate it.
On the way home, thinking about the day, thinking about the annoyance that is a photograph, thinking about all the work I will have to do to get up to speed and not embarrass myself in a few months in front of the rest of the class and how much I felt like I was far out of my comfort zone, I looked up.
For 10 minutes, from that point on, I had a difficult time remembering to watch the road. The dark, clear sky, pin-pricked with stars, was putting on a small Northern Lights show, complete with two meteors that flashed through the handle of the Big Dipper. Two wishes. I used them.
The Northern Lights faded about eight miles before our corner, and dad told me later, when I mentioned the Norther Lights being out for a while, that the yard light hadn't come on as normal and indicated that the Northern Lights were probably the reason.
Interesting. When one light goes on, another goes out. They seem to take turns.
Labels: family, my life, nature, work
Copyright (c) Julie R. Neidlinger 12/11/2007 11:54:00 PM
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8 Comments:
Yes, we do need those reminders of what is truly important.
By 
Rey, at
12/12/07 05:10
Thanks for the smile this morning!
By Jacqui, at
12/12/07 06:02
They offered to take a second photo when I renewed my license asking me if the first one was ok. I declined thinking the second one could be worse.
By 
, at
12/12/07 07:50
For what it's worth, the thumbnail photo (jrn25) that popped up when I loaded the page is quite nice.
By MichaelBates, at
12/12/07 09:14
Thank you for the smile as well Julie. It's nice to come to a blog where the topics of conversation are Grouse and Driver's license photos and not how Hillary Clinton and the dems are going to save this country from tyranny. Thanks Again.
By , at
12/12/07 12:50
I really love the Northern Lights! I haven't seen any yet this year, but I'm not out much at night lately. I think I need to go on an evening drive and hope they're out there. Thanks for the inspiration!
By , at
12/12/07 17:00
I appreciate the part about the Northern lights. We don't get them in South Carolina. Too much light pollution, or other pollution, or whatever. You're observation that one light goes out and another on seems almost metaphorical in some way. This seems to me analogous to some of Gods' methods...but I'm not exactly sure how. I'm also reminded of my three basic personal truthes:
a) God is who He says He is.
b) I am who God says I am.
c) Be cause a and b are true, I owe Him my all.
Sometimes I have to keep it simple. Dave
By , at
12/12/07 17:42
Hahaha
Check out this girl's video blog about this very same topic. Hillarious.
By David Cho, at
12/12/07 18:42
