It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's...Grandma's Middle Finger?

If there is one thing that my childhood definitely wasn't lacking, I would have to say it was long road trips. We were frequently driving "up north", to Houghton Lake, for the weekend. In the summer time, we would travel to one of the more southern states, going as far as Florida. There were six of us that would pile into a car or van: my father, my mother, my two older brothers, my grandmother, and myself. We spent many hours on the road and I have no idea how we stayed entertained for so long. I do, however, recall one of the funniest moments of my childhood happening during one of these road trips.

We were stopped at a red light, when my grandmother exclaimed, "Look at the bird! Look at the bird!" We quickly looked over to see her holding up her middle finger and pointing at the sky. I'm completely sure she didn't realize what she was doing. Unfortunately, there was a guy in a pick up truck stopped in the lane right next to us. His eyes were the widest I have ever seen. I can't imagine what he was thinking when he looked over and saw my grandmother flipping him off. I don't remember if the windows were open. It is possible that he heard her saying, "Look at the bird! Look at the bird!" Either way, it was hilarious. I will never forget it.

I love you, Grandma!

Note: "Up North" in Michigan refers to basically anything north of Flint. It is a common phrase that people use in Michigan; however, I thought it was important to elaborate on this because it can have very different meanings in other places. Some of them are just as harmless. In Milwaukee or Chicago, "up north" refers to rural areas of northern Wisconsin while "up north" in Southern Illinois means Chicago. I've recently learned that when someone in New York says "up north", they are referring to jail, since most of the prisons are in the northern part of the state.