A memory popped
into my mind driving to work today. A
little over three years ago I read a Civil War history book on a whim. A dozen or so more books followed over two
years, then I moved on to the history of World War II, followed by World War
I. I like immersing myself in something
I know little or nothing about, and the histories of America’s wars fall into
this category.
Anyway, I
remember borrowing the audiobook of The
Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant from the library. I’d listen to it commuting to work, but the
memory that stuck out was what I’d do on Friday nights. I’d get off of work, grab one of those juice
smoothie things from the grocery store, and listen to the CD book in my car, in
cold, wet weather like this, vicariously reliving General Grant’s experiences. I did this frequently during the six or so
weeks it took to get through the book, and it was quite a relaxing, refreshing
experience. Should’ve had a shot of
whiskey and smoke a cigar during these listening sessions in honor of the man
whose life I was studying, but, hey, I got a family and I’m trying to stay
healthy.
I have a funny
memory of the audiobook, too. During
those six weeks, my trusty Impala broke down with one of its many coolant
leaks, and the extended warranty company paid for a rental car. When the job was done, the rental company
picked up the car from me a few days later – and
immediately afterward I realized I left one of the Grant CDs in the car. So the next day I drove on over to the rental
place and had the twenty-something Hispanic girl behind the counter rummage
through their lost and found. She wanted
to know what CD she should look for. I
told her, “The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant.” She raised an eyebrow at me, and I said, no
kidding:
“It’s what all
the kids are listening to nowadays.”
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