WHERE ARE MOM AND DAD?

Hurricane Irene hit the East Coast of this country of ours.  It was amazing according to The Weather Channel. My children, grandchildren and I live 580 miles from the action, so we only know what was reported by media and my sister (on coast).   My 80+ year old parents live right where Irene was to sing and dance!  I spoke to my parents on my way to Mass...11- ish and they swore that they were going to stay in, watch television (unless power went out), have a little greens and beans with fresh crusty Italian bread.  I phoned at around 1...answering machine. Hmmm.  At 2, answering machine.  The winds were picking up, flooding where there has never been a drop of water before, trees uprouting! At 3 my sister phoned and asked where they were.  I couldn't see them from my vantage point I assured her, but I finally thought of something that I hadn't before.  (And I'm a college graduate?)...Little Sister, "I'll call their CELL PHONE.  The possible glitch here is that it just may not be turned ON! "  So, I called Mom and Dad's Cell Phone.  Loudly and very clearly, my mother answered, or rather sang as if in a glee club.  Make that she answered with glee.  "HELLO!" "Mom, what's going on?  Where are you two? I keep getting your machine!  The weather reporters keep saying people should be at home, to not venture out unnecessarily.  What's going on?"  Giggling, she responded, "Oh, John next door came over to see how we were doing.  Carol (a cousin) called and asked if we needed anything. I guess everyone wants to check on the old people. Bill (my father's friend since birth, I swear) called and said, "Hey, I'm sick of sitting home with Fran (wife), meet us at McDonald's.  I'll call the gang!"  Now, my parents are the most cautious people in the entire universe!  My dad has never, ever gotten a ticket, never been an accident, pays all bills early, and is a recycle freak (self proclaimed).  He kicks the tires of his car, has the oil changed every full moon or so.  Until 4:45, "the gang" hung out at McDonalds!  The sentiment of the crowd was that if the weather girl could stand on a boardwalk and broadcast in the storm in her slicker and not blow away, or be hit with any miscellaneous bath house, why couldn't they jump into their solid American cars (Dad has a pristine Impala) and do wheelies all the way to Mickie D's for free coffee!  Are these the people, you think, that snuck out at midnight and took their Dad's cars when they were teenagers?  I know that my father has told me that when his parents would visit his grandmother's grave, he'd take off in Grandpa's car and laugh as my Grandfather tried chasing him around the cemetary roads ... at 13 years old!  What was I saying about CAUTIOUS? 

May all of us occasionally throw fate to the wind and have fun regardless of our chronological ages!  May we all find joy in storms and sunshine!

You, Mom and Dad are my idols!