After the weeks of preparation for the La Grande trip it was time to travel. I had spent the month of May working toward the healing of an injury. Finding time to test out my healing effort by playing a single round of golf before departure. The pain in my leg was still present when I played a week before the trip. But, I discovered by playing that I could swing the golf club pain free. Meaning my trip to play in the La Grande scramble could be done without concern. The only pain to worry about on the golf course would be incurred by bending at the waist. Performing activities like teeing the ball up and bending to pick a golf ball out of the cup. If I found my level of pain to rise uncomfortably. The option would always be there to kneel down on one knee. In order to perform those two activities, which ask of me to bend at the waist. With the confidence of being able to manage the pain, my excitement grew for the trip. Making an effort to watch the weather, as the weekend drew near. The forecast was calling for no rain, though we could be playing golf under cloudy skies. The predicted temperatures didn’t lend themselves to a clarity of dress. So, I tried packing a little bit of everything. Trying to be ready for whatever the temperatures might feel like. The sun was shining on the Friday we departed. With the forecast calling for sun the entire way, I decided on shorts.
The drive down to La Grande doesn’t usually yield much excitement. Don’t get me wrong, I personally enjoy the journey to Eastern Oregon. Taking us across a couple mountain passes and winding though the farm lands of both states. Along the highways, we usually don’t come across much action. A regular number of truckers color the slow lanes of any major interstate. Along with people like us, traveling from one location to another, for all kinds of durations of time. Having made this trip for a number of years and road trips of similar length, much of the highway traffic, often looks the same. On this Friday morning we set out early, around seven o’clock. Leaving at the early hour provides a couple advantages. The traffic is relatively light and we get into La Grande in the early afternoon. For some reason, traveling through the cascade mountains this year, making our way east from Seattle, things looked different. The green in all the trees popped for me, much more than I could remember in previous years. It felt like every time I looked out toward a mountain slopes covered with trees, the colors were vibrant. Like they were painted perfectly on a canvas. It was so fascinating to me, I mentioned it time and again, as we climbed through Snoqualmie Pass. I have driven over this pass countless times, but couldn’t remember such remarkable coloring in the mountains. Once we hit the other side of the cascades, things got more interesting.
We dropped out of the mountain range onto the eastern side. The sun shining brightly, as the sky suddenly became bigger. The stretch of highway is one I have traveled often. Moving between the two small towns of Cle Elum and Ellensburg. We pulled off the highway into a rest area for a quick break. Deciding our next move would be stopping in Ellensburg for some breakfast. Something we have done previously on our journey to La Grande. However, not something we have done on a consistent basis. We left out of the rest area in our two-car caravan, headed for Eastern Oregon. Little did I know, we were in for something I had never seen prior to this stretch of road. My buddy and I road in my car, as his parents took the lead, driving toward a hearty meal. We couldn’t have been more than five miles from the town of Ellensburg, when something caught my attention in my mirror. I looked a couple times, trying to gain perspective on what was occurring. The car behind us had a police car behind them with light flashing. The only problem was, the car behind us wasn’t pulling off to the shoulder of the highway. Because, I was driving, I didn’t know if my passenger had glanced at the happenings behind. The police car, with light still flashing, was moving from one side of this car to the other. Attempting to get the attention of the driver, to pull over. It took me some time in realizing the car was pulling a U-Haul trailer. However, the police car just continued moving from side to side, trying to get the car’s attention through their side mirrors. Still, no movement of the car to pull off the highway. It was turning into a little bit of an anxious situation.
I began wondering if there was any responsibility on the part of my vehicle. Should I have pulled off the highway? Like I would have done in a city situation. Looking around to see no other car making any kind of such move, I continued following the parents of my buddy. We came upon the exit for Ellensburg. The one we were going to take for our breakfast stop. The situation behind us hadn’t change. With another look in the mirrors, I could still see the police car moving back and forth, behind the U-Haul trailer. Lights flashing and headlights blinking, we could even hear the faint sounds of a siren. As we came upon the exit, I didn’t want to leave the highway. Whatever was playing out behind our car had become riveting. Having never witnessed anything like it, I wanted to see the ending of this bizarre situation. When we exited the interstate, and we were followed by the vehicle being pursued, my heart jumped a little. All of the sudden, maybe witnessing the end of this situation wasn’t so appealing. The car followed us into the fuel station we had stopped at many times, during these trips. That car being pursued, pulled alongside one of the pumps, like nothing was happening behind them. The police car pulled into the service station, right behind the trailer. Now, my heart was beating a little faster than it was on the highway.
Trying to think quickly, while remaining calm, all in combination. All I could think about was the number of ways the situation could end. Some okay, while others might not be so calm. I did some weaving through the fuel pumps, finding one that created distance between us and the situation. As I got out of the car, there was anxiety running through my body, as I circled my car to start pumping the gas. My mind told me to refrain from staring down the situation happening to my right. They were probably fifty feet away at that point. However, I kept in mind to keep an eye on the situation, in case things deteriorated quickly. When I glanced over, I felt a bit of relief. It didn’t appear like things were going to spin out of control. Taking a quick glance at the female officer, I could see frustration having already mounted. Both in her body language and her facial expression looked none too pleased. The feeling also came over me, with my singular glance, that she had the situation under control, as my body seemed to relax. Both cars in our caravan to La Grande received their needed fuel and we drove across the parking lot for breakfast. Of course, the conversation around our meal couldn’t help, but wonder onto the events from the highway. We exchanged similar reactions to the happenings along the road and discussed what might be the consequences of the occupants in the car. It was quiet the beginning to our weekend trip.
Breakfast at the Buzz Inn in Ellensburg was good. In case of curiosity, I had an omelet. We walked back onto the cars following the meal. My curiosity couldn’t be contained and I walked to the far side of the parking lot. Looking back in the direction of the fuel station. Everything had been cleared by that point. I wondered quietly to myself how the situation might have ended. We pulled back onto the highway, heading south out of Ellensburg. The clear blue skies and warm temperatures continued for the next four hours. All the way into the quiet city of La Grande. Nothing else eventful happened along the rest of the drive. We stopped a couple more times for bathroom breaks and snacks. Driving onto the La Grande exit during the early afternoon hours. Sharing a good meal at Bud Jackson’s in downtown La Grande. We caught up over our Friday night meal. Which, has become a sort of tradition. The only place I have ever eaten a hamburger with an egg. A meal I have reserved only for my trips to La Grande. The night wound down not long after having dinner. We checked into the hotel and got some good sleep. The golf tournament would begin early the next morning and I was hoping for more sunny skies.
A Journey With Cerebral Palsy 