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Fools Rush In
There’s an old song I love called “Fools Rush In.” The first line is “Wise men say only fools rush in.” The rest of the song is nothing but One. Big. But. So, I’m gonna stop there. (But if you don’t know the song, click the link! It’s so romantic…Ahem. OK, not now. I’m trying to make a point here.) There’s a reason why a wise man would say not to rush into a marriage. He knows a few things. We should listen because after all it’s been established that he’s wise. If Elvis said it (he recorded one of the first versions of this song), it has to be…
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Get On The Same Side
When C.P. Ellis died, a family-only memorial service was held. Ann Atwater, the only friend who had been invited to the service, arrived early and sat in the front row. Ann was from Durham, North Carolina, and was a major force within the country’s civil rights movement. She was infamous for her fiery, tough personality. She was soon approached by a red-faced employee of the funeral home. He whispered, “This service is for Mr. Clairborne Ellis.” Ann nodded and said, “Yes, I know.” There was an awkward pause as the man cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, but the service is for family only.” Ann replied, “I know that, too.” Another…
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Do It for the Love
My husband and I have been hosting sponsors at drag races for years. On one of these weekends, one businessman brought his wife. She watched Kyle tear apart the bottom end and check and replace bearings. She observed Mike take off the valve covers, check the pushrods, and set the valves. She kept her eye on Larry tearing apart, servicing and reassembling the sizzling hot clutch and me repacking the parachutes. She saw Bobby cleaning all of the oil & clutch dust from every inch of the car. If you know anything about the sport of drag racing, you know that this work I’m talking about is done in between…
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Two Worst Days in Bed
Bobby and I have spent the whole day in bed together twice. Neither was for a romantic reason, but both resulted in romance. I’ll share the other story at the end. This time was in 1997 and was the day after one of our worst days racing. When we decided that we were going funny car racing, Bobby called Harry. Harry was an acquaintance at the time but became Bobby’s mentor and in many ways, just like a dad. He was an NHRA national record holder and knew his stuff. He gave Bobby advice like “Sit in a funny car with the body down first. You’ll know right away if you…
