the dawn of an older age

he drove a VW beetle......
drove it all up and down the east coast,
he put his head through the windshield of one when someone pulled out in front of him.
after that terrible accidentt, he was forever pulling tiny glass shards out of his forehead....
like a constant reminder that life can suddenly change in an instant.

i was young then,
i don't really remember anything about it except the anxiety on my mother's face and waiting at the hospital for hours as i stood on a chair with my hands pressed on the windows looking out at the city below while the hot summer sun beat down on me.
it's curious the things that you remember,
and the things you don't.
i know now that my father probably faced down many fears when he got back behind the wheel of a brand new VW beetle,
but i never knew it then.
all i knew was that i always felt safe with him behind the wheel.