Having lived in and around Monterey County for decades — including Prunedale, Castroville and Salinas (north and south) — I learned to drive on and have spent a fair number of hours traveling on Highway 101. Not to mention numerous trips north to San Jose as a child to visit my grandparents. And later, as an adult, heading south on 101 to the California Mid-State Fair, wine tasting in Paso Robles, visiting the beaches in Shell and Pismo Beach, and a few longer sojourns to Disneyland with my kids. I feel confident in saying I know a good stretch of 101 “like the back of my hand” at this point.
I remember being a kid, returning from a weekend at my grandparents in Cupertino. It would be toasty warm in the back seat, and my brother and I would drift off to sleep. Suddenly, there was a chill as the temperature dropped, and we’d awaken to find we were coming up the hill just south of The Red Barn Flea Market, and that meant we were nearly home.
For several years, I worked in Gilroy and made the daily trek from Salinas to Gilroy. There were days I left work when it was sweltering, and I had to crank up the A/C. Before I knew it, the eucalyptus grove appeared, followed by that familiar hill, and the A/C went off. Sometimes the bright sunny late afternoon turned into a cold, gloomy, fog-filled view. This weather pattern repeats if you continue south on Highway 101. You pass through Salinas, and it’s a pleasant 65 degrees; then you hit South County, and it’s warmer still; then you reach Paso Robles, where it can be downright blistering hot. Keep going, and you’ll round a corner just past San Luis Obispo where you will take in the breathtaking views of Shell Beach and feel the cool coastal air.
Passing agricultural fields, vineyards and the wide-open spaces between King City and San Miguel, you sometimes forget that there are other portions of the state that are jam-packed with buildings and traffic is ridiculous. That is a stretch meant for cruise control and good music or a fun podcast.
Living in our beautiful region of California, a common response to incoming visitors if they ask about the weather is to recommend they pack clothing that can be easily layered. Locals know that depending on which areas you plan to spend time in, you can go from needing a coat or light jacket to a T-shirt in the span of a few minutes. As the Boy Scouts used to say (and maybe still do?), “Always be prepared!” Although it took me a while to embrace this philosophy. I somehow never brought a sweatshirt with me when I attended North Monterey County High School in the early ’80s. I’d leave my house in Prunedale, and it seemed like it was a warm enough day for my daily uniform of Levi’s 501 jeans, a T-shirt and my Birkenstocks — with no socks, of course. Then I’d reach Castroville, and it was not only cold, but sometimes wet as well. My mom gave up on the “Don’t you want to bring a jacket?” plea halfway through my freshman year.
In a way, our life journey is a bit like traveling Highway 101, isn’t it? A few minutes can change our perspectives and our attitudes because we are never sure what lies around the next corner. Will we complain about the heat and then be relieved to hit the fog bank and cooler air? Or will we embrace the warmth and then scold the marine layer that makes us reach for the “A/C off” button? Similarly, we can be having a perfectly good day, and something someone does or says can derail us into an emotional head spin.
As we get older, I think that we eventually realize we should embrace it all and not let things beyond our control — or other humans — ruin our day. After all, we must ALLOW that to happen. The too-hot days when we feel sticky with sweat, and the chilly days when we’d rather stay inside. We have zero control over the weather, but we have 100% control over how we react and respond to it. Same with people, really. The barista or server who seems like they’d rather be anywhere other than taking your order, a family member or friend who is causing you angst in some way. We generally don’t know what they are dealing with or what their frame of mind is, but most likely, their behavior has nothing to do with us. A little patience and a little grace go a long way.
As we travel the roads of life, figuratively and literally, take in the sights, sounds and experiences along the way and try to keep in mind that we only get one shot at this. This is not a dress rehearsal, as they say. And while people come in and out of the picture, just like the exits and on-ramps, there are some we will be drawn to more than others because there is joy there. And there might be some we avoid, even if it means taking the long way around!
Wherever your journey takes you, here’s to your health and happiness and the hope that should you suddenly find yourself in a cool climate, there’s a sweatshirt in the trunk and a good friend to share a laugh with riding shotgun.
Columnist Dana Matthews may be reached at ar***@*****st.net.
