Flat Track Bobsledding

When I was in high school, a friend of mine and I invented a wonderful new sport. As I look back on it, I’m shocked that it has not yet become an Olympic favorite. Although we never managed to name the sport, it could have been called ‘autobob’ or ‘flat track bobsledding’. It was a winter sport so I can imagine young American autobob athletes traveling to exotic ski resorts every four years to compete against the best flat track bobsledders in the world. Perhaps it’s not too late. Let me describe the sport to you.

During the winter in Cleveland, Ohio, home of the original flat track bobsled courses, the snow frequently lay heavy on the ground. When the roads became impassable, city trucks would plow the main roads and, if we were lucky, the residential streets. We’d wait for the trucks to come down side streets near our homes and push the snow to both sides of the roads, forming four foot high continuous embankments that sealed driveways, covered fireplugs and made the sidewalks disappear beneath the mounds of snow. Perfect autobob courses!

My First Two Crashes

I’m pretty sure that I had only two car crashes when I was in high school. I may be wrong about that. I remember these two because they involved girls. That was the memorable part.

The first crash occurred as I drove my mom’s little Anglia (an English Ford about the size of a VW Beetle) to a school picnic. A friend was riding shotgun and two girls were in the back seat. This wasn’t a double date or anything; we were just all going to the picnic. At least I don’t think it was a date, but one of the girls may have been putting a different spin on the situation.

First Day of School

It was the most important day of my young life and I was bursting with anticipatory energy. I was no longer a baby, no longer a toddler, no longer just a small, purposeless person. I was finally old enough to go to school! My mother was taking me enroll in kindergarten. I was very proud.

My mom helped me put on my new long pants (real long pants!) and shirt and my new shoes and socks. She combed my hair and made extra sure that I finished all my breakfast. It was very difficult for me to allow this lengthy preamble to the great activity of the day. I wanted to get my coat and hat on and begin the long journey around the corner to the school.