Happy Moments

I had this secret girlfriend. She did not know it; that is why it was a secret. I think she was not exactly pretty, but to me she was the prettiest of all and I could not stop admiring her during class. I would go home and continue to think about her, my imaginary girlfriend. She was smart, funny, mildly popular (I did not like the really popular girls), and two years older than me. I never talked to her. One day our sights met and she smiled.

"The Wall" was playing loud in the car stereo; I had never listened to Pink Floyd before. Five college friends, I am in the passenger seat of the car we borrowed from one of the parents. It was the third day of a long road trip of about 3,000 miles over 20 days. We have just enough money to pay for gas. We are going very fast and there is no sign of civilization as far as we can see, just a straight empty road ahead. I look at the map open on my lap. We know we are going North, we have no idea where we are going to sleep tonight. The window is open and I feel the sun and the wind on my face.

I am in the desert and it is just me. The night air is dry and cool. I look up to the sky and I realize I had never seen a sky like that, big, really big like you cannot imagine. It is also very clear, full of other planets, stars and mystery. It makes me feel small, like I know nothing. It makes me feel big, like I can touch the sky.

Three happy moments, nothing to do with having money.