Memories of learning to eat healthier in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, a Mother-in-Law's positive influence with this intertwined with a scary experience in a van to a produce stand ... cool new TobyMac song with that name about "living life on the edge" for Jesus Christ ....
Pic: Public Doman - TobyMac, "Edge Of My Seat"
“Daddy, can you get me some more mangoes,” asked our 4 year old son, Andrew, who was secured in his car seat as we were coming from church and going to pick up some fruit at a local Southside Produce Stand on Perkins about 26 years ago on a rather blustery day that kept me combing my hair to keep it straight.
Andrew loved mangoes, especially munching off the delicious sweet fruit all the way to the large core seeds they have.
“Maw Maw,” my wife's late mother who had been a Belize native and had lived with us for awhile in the 90's after we transplanted from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, had gotten us into the great habit of eating more fruit and vegetables.
“That's great, Andrew, that you like mangoes,” Maw Maw blurted out as she was with us that day earlier after Mass in our old Plymouth Voyager on our way then to lunch - a weekly tradition somewhere - for a family meal at the old Ryan's Cafeteria on Essen Lane; for adults, it was about only $ 5.99 for all you can eat, and next to nothing for kids!
I had grown up in New Orleans hardly eating many vegetables – usually canned – nor fruits other than bananas that my daddy got from the ole Schwegmann's on Airline Highway at Labarre Road in Metairie; we certainly ate a lot of the McKenzie's Glazed Donuts that Dad would get every Saturday for us at the pastry shop which was also located in that grocery store.
So after marrying Maria in the early 80s and moving to Redstick with Maw Maw staying with us for awhile, I finally learned to start eating healthier as my wife had been trying to get me to do. Going to that produce stand a few times a week certainly helped me and our then two children get on a better diet.
Well, after leaving Ryan's and as I was getting ready to turn off the road to enter Southside's parking lot, the wind could be felt greatly resisting the turn of our van, but I held hard onto the steering wheel to secure the turn safely and was eyeing an open parking spot.
Maria-Therese, our daughter was with us also, and as I was almost driving into the first part of the parking lot, I began to ask her what she wanted to get from the store when another strong wind was felt by all us in the van that shook us a little.
Before our daughter could answer my question and I was getting ready to pass the interior property gate guards, another wind surge occurred and slightly pushed me – even though I was secured in my seat belt – a little to the edge of my seat. All of a sudden, one of the gate guards was flung right onto my path and was so fast that I could not react to do anything but slowly stop.
Next thing I knew, our van's windshield was being crashed through by the protruding gate guard, and I felt a slight sting on my middle right finger that was holding the top of my steering wheel - as we all yelled out in fear!
As the van finally came to a stop, I, in trepidation, opened my eyes to see the gate guard literally right in front of me on an angle with the end piece resting on my left shoulder – I easily could have been decapitated!
After checking to be sure everyone else was not injured and that I only had a slightly bleeding finger, we all gave a sigh of relief and slowly got out of the van; the staff at Southside did check on me, helped me bandage up my finger and overall attended to me and family well.
While I subsequently did have some problems in getting my Van fixed, I was thankful to walk away from that situation relatively unscathed … but I'd be lying if I didn't say that I surely had some mini post-traumatic coping concerns with driving for a short while after that incident.
And we still enjoy getting some great healthy eating vegetables and fruit from Southside, where Maria-Therese got to work during her high school years.
TobyMac Song: "Edge Of My Seat:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kf8OlZbe-M
Keith John Paul Horcasitas, 1133 Knollhaven Drive, BRLA 70810, March 22, 2020.
I thought this was about eating healthy. But it turned out to be a harrowing experience. Strange how a decision to make an excursion to buy fruit can turn into a near disaster. Thank goodness you are your family were not hurt seriously by the fickle nature of the wind.
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Pic: Public Doman - TobyMac, "Edge Of My Seat"
