The New Blonde

I knew it was going to be an adventure when I pulled into the parking lot around two policemen wrestling a huge young man to the ground, and handcuffing him. My neck turned to rubber and I almost hit a telephone pole. It was just like you see on television.

I wanted to roll down the window and thank the sweating, huffing cops for protecting our fair city, but thought better of it and parked a little further away at the DMV. The DMV is as beloved as the dentist, but I have wised up in my golden years- I never enter the DMV without an appointment. I walked past the two hour long line of people glaring at me as they stood in the 98 degree sunshine. The receptionist took my name, told me to have a seat, and less than a minute later, I was called up to the man who would give me the road sign and vision test and help me renew my driver license.

By now, I was filled with good cheer. I felt safe from thugs, and I was actually being helped one minute early at the DMV. Wonders will never cease!

"Hello!" I said happily to the DMV worker, "I just saw someone being handcuffed by the police right out front."
He startled and looked out the front window.
"Down by the road," I explained.
"Wow, that's pretty exciting," he said.

I was actually a little nervous. I had studied the road signs right before leaving, but they always throw in a tricky one. I know I am not dumb, but I struggle to remember what some of those signs mean when they take the words off, and really, taking the words off is not a fair test. In reality, we will never see a road sign without the proper words, unless some prankster does something cute like add the word "Smiling" after the word "Stop".

And true to form, there was one sign that was just a circle....no telltale words to clue the clueless.
I began to shudder, anxiety slowly filling my brain instead of the answer.
"Normally that is a railroad crossing, but it always has an x on it...." I said uncertainly.
"You got it," he said.
I sat back.
"How many did I get right?" I said trembling.
"All of them!"
"Oh thank Goodness! I was so worried."
He glanced up, and looked at me as though something were wrong with wanting to do well on his test.

He began to fill out the form for the new license. He looked at me again.
"Hair color?" he asked.
"Do you mean originally?" I said.
"We can put brown like on your old license," he offered kindly.
"Does my hair look brown to you?" I asked.
I could see him wrestle with his conscience, and then he said, "No."
"Well you better put grey then."
"Yes ma'am."
"You know grey is the new blonde."
"It sure is," he said. I'm not certain he was complimenting me.

As the photographer took my picture, I smiled hugely. I had done my hair, and wore a shirt that went well with my eyes. If  I am going to carry this license around for the next ten years, I want to look my best.
"Is all the information correct?" asked the photographer, with a bored look.
I glanced at the hair color section. Grey. All the other info was the same as on my last license.
"It is," I said, smiling at him.
"Have a nice day," he said, smiling back.

It is such an unusual blessing to have everything work the way it is supposed to. The bad guys apprehended by the good guys, everyone on time for appointments, young men respectful and kind to grey haired ladies, and smiles replacing boredom. I suspect I had just been given the teeniest little taste of heaven....the way life was supposed to be before the Fall from grace, before the Fall into sin and desire to replace God's plans with our own plans.

"You're a smart lady to make an appointment rather than stand in line," said the young man.
"I am growing wise in my old age," I laughed.

Leviticus 19:32
"‘You shall rise up before the grayheaded and honor the aged, and you shall revere your God; I am the Lord."