The Drive-In

June 6, 2007, 9:45 am; posted by
Filed under Articles, Chloe  | 2 Comments

I went to the drive-in this past Saturday to see Pirates III. I hadn’t been to a drive-in since my dad passed away when I was seven, and the experience made me wonder why they’re slowly disappearing.

We got there about half an hour before sundown so we could get a good spot — not that we needed one, because my friend’s boyfriend has a huge truck that guaranteed a good spot no matter where we parked.

There were eight of us, and we ordered two pizzas for dinner, which we ate on the truck. I didn’t know most of the people who were with us, but the atmosphere made us all easy friends in minutes. It was like any other tailgating party, except something I was actually interested in was to follow!

Then the movie started. At the same time, a light breeze picked up, just cool enough to stir the warm evening air into what we all imagine a night at the drive-in should feel like. A stray fly or mosquito visited me every so often, and once a giant moth swooped down over the truck. I watched the sun set, the moon rise and the stars come out, all while the movie played in front of me. There was no whispering or people kicking my seat, no crying babies, chronic coughers or cell phones ringing. And if the movie got a little boring, I simply turned around and watched Shrek III, which was playing at the lot behind me. (Pirates III, however, did not get boring often.)

The movie ended at midnight and I went home, to dream of swashbuckling and keel-hauling, and to wonder why we don’t go to the drive-in more often.


Comments

2 Comments to “The Drive-In”

  1. Pastor Bob Mackmer on June 6th, 2007 10:13 am

    Chloe, I remember the drive-in loooooong before you wre born. Some of the best dates! But can’t imagine going with a truckload of friends.

  2. Mollie on June 6th, 2007 2:40 pm

    I love the drive-in!!
    My husband and I lived down the road from one for 3 years, and almost every weekend we would grab our sleeping bags and walk up the hill and camp out on the grass in front of the screen. It was a perfect date night :)

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