His dream came true

Not history; nor mystery.

In other words - don't concentrate on either the past or the future so much that you cannot appreciate today. 

I not only appreciate that concept, I often share it as advice!

EXCEPT - some times those memories are so precious that I am not willing to let them go.

That's the case today - as the 58th Daytona 500 is underway.

July 1996

"You've heard of the Daytona 500, right?"

Of course I had heard of the Daytona 500.  I am a native Floridian.  I was in the sixth grade when the first Daytona was run and that was just one more of the sports my daddy followed.

"Well, yeah".

But the next question was -

"Would you like to go with me to the race?"

That was a new one.  No one had ever asked me that kind of question.

Sure....

Before that event, Rich Suhey took me to the Daytona 500 racetrack.  He told me how exciting it would be to hear the voice of the announcer say "Gentlemen, start your engines", and about how he had heard that the cars sounded like a train as they came in front of the stands.  He could hardly wait for Feburary 16th to arrive.

This was one of those things that Rich had dreamed about his whole life.

Me?  I never imagined even remotely that I would ever be sitting in a grandstand on a February Sunday - watching race cars.  I knew exactly where it was; but I certainly had never thought I would be a spectator.

Who knew?

I found this in my scrapbook as I was remembering.

I was there with Rich when one of his dreams came true. 

The next year he had fallen asleep and I was studying as the race was about to end. 

I realized that Dale Earnhart was about to win.  I have always been glad that I woke him up.

Those two Daytona 500's were the only ones we would share. And yet all these years later, that race has some significance for me.

Not so much that I would want to find myself in the stands...but just enough to make me sure I have my television on so that I can hear those famous words..."Drivers start your engines".

On second thought...Maybe I would like to go again.