Like a Cannonball (Run II)

I was in high school when my dad and step-mother got together. My step-sister, Guppy, is almost 4 years older than I am, and so was already out on her own. One of the first times I met her was the night she took me and two of my friends down to Lowell, MA, for a concert. A Menudo concert. Yes, I was in high school in the 80's, why do you ask? Guppy wasn't exactly a fan, but going to a concert together seemed like a nice "sisterly bonding experience", so I got her a ticket and she offered to drive.

We got directions to the concert venue, and we had a map of the city. Have you ever driven in New England? It's ... interesting. For all of you lucky people that grew up in the middle or western parts of the country, I'll just say one thing. All New England roads, whether in the city or out in the boondocks, were laid out not by engineering crews, but by wandering cows. Needless to say, we're trying to figure out if that little bitty alley counts as the first left or not, decide not, miscount and miss our turn. I look at the map and say "Hey Guppy, there's a traffic circle just ahead, we'll turn around there." Except you can't turn around there. Because for some reason the so-called traffic circle on the map did not actually make a complete circle in the road and we ended up going off in the wrong direction.

Yep, if you ever meet me, or Guppy, or my friends Knuckles and Stampy, just ask us about "Getting Lost in Lowell" and we'll laugh. What an experience. We drove around a bit, trying to retrace our steps in a large MA city where half the roads are one way the wrong way and the other half wind in circles or dead end. Finally, we pass a fire station. Guppy pulls in to get directions - after all, who would know the town roads better than a policeman or a fire crew? Guppy was a volunteer firefighter and EMT in NH. After she got our directions, she tells the crew - "Thank you, now I'm going to stare at your trucks for a while." And she did. One of my earliest memories of my sister, Guppy, is stopping to look at fire trucks while lost in Lowell. :)

Well, the directions worked great of course, and we get to the concert. Now, as I mentioned, Guppy was older than I, and out of high school. I myself was already on the upper edge of Menudo's fan-base's age range. Picture Menudo as the Hannah Montana of the 80's, and a concert venue full of screaming pre-teens, a few teens, several bored parents and one embarrassed 20 yo. Poor Guppy, she was so out of her element. I remember Knuckles, Stampy and I standing up, singing along and dancing, a couple times, and Guppy just sitting there, listening, and probably thinking "Holy cow, I'm older than everyone on stage by at least 5 years!!"

Thankfully, the drive home was not nearly as eventful. I'm sure if you asked her, Guppy would tell you that the highlight of her evening was getting lost and taking the time to look at fire trucks!