13 March 2004
Bridget Geraghty
Carrie got her driver’s license more than a year before I got mine (me being lazy...) and despite living on opposite ends of Evanston, she was always willing to drive me around the suburbs, Norridge to Lake Forest and everything in between. Many of my favorite memories of Carrie come from the two of us in the front seat talking, laughing, and breaking laws.
Junior and senior year we drove to school together. I could tell when I saw her each morning whether it would be a gossipy morning, a screaming morning, a silent morning or a “I have to stop and only put $5 worth of gas in the car or we won’t get to school” morning.
Regardless of the mood, I was always sure to buckle up. The one day we didn’t fly to school was the time she was allowed to drive the Shepard’s new Lexus- she followed EVERY law that morning. I of course, was no more innocent. We teased each other mercilessly about skills and speed and went through plenty of orange lights as a result.
There was always a good-natured fight when she switched to the country station. She seemed to know all the words to the worst achey-breaky heart songs and I would make fun of her until she changed it, or we would laugh as the little green car sang along with the many unusual noises it made that seemed to match the twangy country songs.
I’ve had a couple of close calls in the past 8 months, and each time it’s like she’s right there with me. She always was the better driver.