BOBBY SUE RAYHAL

Last week I was cited for my LAST (I promise) speeding ticket. Because of my lead foot I have received several nicknames in the past: "Bobby Sue Rayhal", "Speedo", "Speed Demon", "Speed Racer" and "Speedy Gonzales".


One always remembers the first day of school, the first kiss, the first date, the first- EVERYTHING--and I certainly remember my first speeding ticket.


It was three days before Thanksgiving in 1976. Ironically, I was speeding on Court Street (just like this year) and I was terribly embarrassed and didn't tell anyone. Being very naive, I didn't know that those items were published in the newspaper. I only told my husband and mother.


In our family we have a saying that "we'll put a sack over our head" if someone in the family causes any kind of embarrassment. On Thanksgiving Day, dinner was at my house. We were waiting for my brother Roger and his family to arrive. Someone yelled, "They're here!" and I looked out the window to see my sister-in-law Sheila leading little daughter Tracey by the hand and my brother Roger carrying baby Joshua on his arm. All of them were wearing paper bags over their heads with triangles cut for the eyes, mouths, and noses. When they came into the family room, everyone else was laughing uproariously.


Little Tracey stomped her foot and said, "Daddy told us everybody would think this is funny, but I don't think so!" Sheila stepped forward with a bowl of Waldorf Salad with the newspaper clipping of my citation taped to the top of the Saran Wrap and said, "Everbody knows, Toots."

This time I made sure to tell everyone so maybe I'll be lucky and have no sacks!