” Doc” was the name my 20 year old daughter had given her grandfather some 18 years ago! After his very sad and untimely death in 2000, we were all getting back on track, talking and laughing about fond memories with him. Some of the best memories with him were unplanned trips to anywhere! We usually left on a Saturday morning and would just start driving, we might have a town destination in mind, but that could easily be changed if any passenger in the car saw someplace else that interested them. The whole day was spent as though we were on vacation! We’d visit whatever was prevalent to the area; antique shop, museum, antique book store, etc. But the day would no doubt involve an authentic restaurant. He liked to try foods from the area!
Yesterday was a “Doc” day! My husband and I invited our daughter and her friend to ride along with us to Chattanooga, Tennessee for the day. We started off explaining to her friend what a “Doc” day was, and if on the way we saw somewhere else to stop we would.
We ended up in Chattanooga as planned and visited the art district with its outdoor statue displays, hidden gift shops, romantic narrow passageways, Bed &Breakfasts, etc. We left the art district by way of a glass walking bridge, and then walked down the hilly streets to find a place for a late lunch. Afterwards we were all freezing from the cold February winds, but walked briskly back up the hills to our car.
We wanted to end the day with a hot drink, after we parallel parked and walked towards the coffee shop, I spotted a suburban parked across the street with painted writing on a side window, “What’s up Doc?”!
After staring at each other in awe, I thought, he must be glad he passed on such a wonderful, spontaneous trait, and that we were all enjoying each other’s company so much!
Thanks Doc!!