Diabetic Redemption

Mom and I just had the most lovely Saturday afternoon.  Just before lunch she called to ask if I’d like to go to the women’s basketball game at the college in the next town.  I think she was a little shocked when I said yes.  Now, I haven’t been to a sports event like this in years — in fact, while I was so depressed, I didn’t like to be around people at all.  That’s what makes our upcoming trip to Epcot so special as well — I’ve wanted to go for years, but I didn’t believe I could handle the crowds.

Well, I’m different, now.  I wasn’t in the gym more than a couple of minutes before I remembered how much I used to love live basketball in high school.  I clapped and yelled, and hooted and hollered, and had the best time.  I threw my hands in the air and wo-hooed for the player on our team who came from my home town.  People from Maine don’t usually get to go to this school — it’s very expensive, and very high brow.  But I yelled and yelled for the hometown girl — this was her last ever college game.  And our team won, thanks to the shooting and free throws of this one player.  The game was a lot of fun.

After the game, I needed to run into Best Buy to pick up a new phone.  After that, Mom told me that she had a little business to do at L.L.Bean’s, (the original L.L.Bean store,) and a groupon for dinner at a place called the Mediterranean Grill.  Since we were already out, we decided to drive down to Freeport, Maine, and have dinner, after Mom did a return at Bean’s.  On the way, we listened to and sang along to The Pajama Game.  Even the ride was a blast!

Mom did her thing at Bean’s, and then, as we were turning down the street to the grill, she told me that the owner was Turkish, and so was the food.  Heaven, even before we opened the door.  8-)

While we were looking at the menu, I asked for çai, pronounced chai, but not the nasty spicy Starbucksy kind of chai.  This is Turkish tea, served in a small glass which sits on a little metal plate.  I remember this from when I was 8.  And when the waitress brought mine, and Mom saw they had the little glasses, she ordered one too.  We started talking about our time in Turkey, and the things I remembered.  When our food came, it was like ambrosia — the first real Turkish food I’d had in decades.  And then, the owner came to our table, and I was able to say hello in his language.  What a night!

On the way home, we sang the rest of The Pajama Game.  After forty-some years, I remember every word of every song.  We both had such fun — this was a piece of our shared history that came before all of the other stuff.  I’m so glad we can share it.  I am so looking forward to my trip with Mom — two weeks from right now I’ll be in Baltimore, waiting for my flight to Orlando.  And Mom and I are going to have a lot of fun on this trip, I know.  Thanks for the lovely afternoon, Mom!