I’m not sure how you roll but I’m Old School. A 1997 Black Toyota Camry has captured my heart for 158,014 miles. She has been to NYC, Chicago, and the Rocky Mts. So maybe she’s not as sexy as she use to be but I still love her. The emblem is missing from the front grill, the front left rim has no center cap, and the tint on the driver side window is wanting to come off. About 4 years ago I was listening to a David Crowder cd when my cd player started to act funny. From that moment on I got use to talk radio and my cassette tape of Another Bad Creation. Until today.

For some reason I woke up this morning and thought to myself. Maybe my cd player will work today. Its been awhile but why not just give it a whirl. I get into my black beauty and cozy into my cracking khaki leather with hopes of second chances. I put in Blue October given to me by my friend J Dub and let the windows down to take in the smells of summer. The screen blinks blank. I can hear the cd spinning, so I hit all 6 buttons…and then it happens. Music. I turn the chorus up loud:

I only want you to see
My favorite part of me
And not my ugly side
Not my ugly side

I drove around today with the biggest smile on my face. I forgot what it was like! And 4 years of -ness made for the sweetest music enjoyment. There is something about second chances. Maybe its because when things are bad the good is just that much better. Or I wonder if its because down deep we all want second chances. Sometimes I think its because screwed up. And in those times there’s nothing more that we want then for someone to forgive us for our stupidity. Its even worse when someone has done wrong to . A bad argument or situation that caused hurt. The grudge and pride separates the relationship and a second chance is secretly hoped for to make things right again.

I’ve come to realize that our lives every day are filled with broken cd players. You can’t seem to avoid the stupid argument. The office job wears on you. Church confuses you and the unknowns in life frustrate. You desperately hope a beer or ice cream will Windex it all away…only to find it just makes you fat. I think everyone has things that break, and then just assume just like me that it will never work again. But take it from me. If you’ll give it a try, if you’ll take a chance, you might find yourself experience a new kind of music. In the midst of a confusing world there is a unique and special power in second chances. I turned the music up even louder. Miss Woodward burned me a cd and what better song to get a left arm tan to then “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey. I don’t think about the interior light not working or even that the back left door has no inside door handle. Because now the cd player can remind of all that is good. And that’s what second chances are all about.

SB