The Forgotten Moment

In the retelling of my vacation I realized I missed our families most important moment.  Each year our family plays a game.  It's called First in the State.  It's played how it sounds.  As we pass state lines throughout our vacation we often all reach towards the front of the car trying to be the first to enter the state or all rush to the back, if not a front contender to be the last out of the last state.  This game has three major components. 

The first scenario is only one person recognizes the state line ahead.  They then continue to act very relaxed while waiting with spring loaded tension to make a perfectly timed dive to the front windshield and be the uncontested first in the state. 

The second is that both people recognize the state line, but both think the other is unaware and so will anxiously engage the other in a conversation where they will not notice the upcoming state, the trick to this is not becoming so engaged you forget yourself.  Invariably though, you both make your dive and it comes down to timing exactly.  Dive to soon and the laws of physics require that to every action there is a reaction and it is your seat belt ricocheting you back into the seat well before the actual state line.

The third and most fun is when both people recognize the state line up ahead.  Both people are well aware that the other is aware and both are strategically planning the way they will win this battle of state entrance.  Read this story's last paragraph before proceeding.  Still sulking over his loss two years ago, Travis this past year was looking to redeem himself.  It became apparent as we left South Dakota and headed towards Wyoming, Travis's temporary home, that he was going to be making a play for the state line. 

Once again he reached for the dash too early,  I rolled my window down hung halfway out and past the dash.  He pulled over once again to make a mad dash for the line.  Rookie mistake trying to do a repeat.  Regardless he had learned and was now staying in the car, totally stopped on the side of the road trying to figure out what to do.  I tried to grab the car keys and make a dash for the state line.  He caught on and held them in place.  Although a great sprinter I knew it I couldn't beat the car at this distance in a race.  So my quick thinking once again made me victor.  With the keys in the ignition I opened my door as if to sprint.  Travis put the car in gear and I then turned back one last time to turn the engine off with the car in Drive.  This leaves the keys stuck in the starter drum where you can't pull them out nor can you restart the car until you put the car in Park.  I knew this would buy me enough time in the sprint.  And I was off barefoot on the side of a broken glass strewn nowhere highway running, quickly diverting to the tall yellow grass side of the road to a Wyoming state victory.  Travis eventually drove by leaving me to walk a ways with a pretended abandon, but eventually he circled around and picked me up.

I may have had two puncture wounds from glass and highway debris, but our whole family was laughing from the deepest parts of our stomach at our ridiculousness.  How I love my family!