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The red Jeep

My husband Ted and I started dating back in the early 1980s. Our boys were growing into young teenagers and always wanted something to do.

Money didn’t make us happy, but great adventures in our Jeep did. In the summer we rode on trails in the woods, went through creeks and forded the river. We never worried about getting dirty. Once, several other couples had a Jeep mud-slinging contest. We got stuck and lost that one.

In the winter, we would all go Jeep riding in the snow. As soon as it starting sticking on our dirt roads back then we would slide around in figure eights and do donuts. We slid into ditches, but there was always help around. We’d laugh and almost cry until the sun went down.

One day someone dared my husband to ride straight up an embankment which was almost a 90-degree angle. We were scared for him and begged him not to do it, but nothing would stop him. After that ordeal, we said, “The red Jeep will go where no man has gone before!”

Now it sits in the backyard with no license tag. I’ll always look at it with fond memories and think of how much fun we had. Just to know that old red Jeep could make that country boy of mine cheer.

Sheree J. Billings, Traphill, Surry-Yadkin EMC

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