Cruisin' 5th East with Grandma

My work office moved to a new location last month, and it has turned out to have a certain benefit that I initially never would have have realized.  The office used to be located on 700 East, and we are now on 500 East in Murray.  For those in my Lyman family, you may know where I'm going with this if I tell you the benefit has to do with the fact that the office is on 5TH EAST. If not, read on...

My Grandma Lyman passed away 6 months ago, and it was known to almost everybody in her family and ward that she was the biggest supporter of driving 5th East. "You can always get anywhere on 5th East," she would say.  The speed limit was slower, granted, but it was never congested, very quiet and kind of quaint. 

There's only one time I can actually remember witnessing Grandma's love of 5th East in person.  My grandparents, mother and I were driving from their home in Sugarhouse to the Conference Center for a concert, with my Grandpa in the drivers seat, and Grandma in the "backseat driver's" seat.  Now, Grandma and Grandpa were like Earl and Opal Pickles (of the classic comic), and this especially came out while they were driving.  My grandpa was taking his own way down there, and Grandma was opening her mouth every several seconds giving him "suggestions" or outright orders on which way to go.  In those front seats, they were classic curmudgeons, battling it out.  My mother and I couldn't keep the giggles in from the back seats, no matter how much we didn't want them to think we were disrespecting them.  It all came to a head and mom and I lost it in the back seats.  It's one little moment in life that has kept us laughing, and kept my Grandparents alive in our hearts.

Since their death, I have thought of them every time I am driving on 5th East. Normally I would always take 7th East because it's a lot faster.  Now I take 5th East whenever I can, and always drive it on my way home from work.  I roll the windows down, soak up the sun, keep the radio off, and I think of her. I talk to her.  It's my daily communion with my Grandma. 

I feel blessed to have such a physical thing that ties me to her emotionally and spiritually.  She is forever alive, but when I drive 5th East, it's like she's sitting in next seat over, cruisin' with me.