I’m writing to say thank you to all those Malibu drivers who traverse the road of Corral Canyon and regularly offer me, a walker, a wave and a smile.
Tuesday, Oct. 24, was a pretty uncomfortable day for most of us—hot as a boiling pot with Santa Ana winds.
As usual, I was trying to make my way up and around the mountain that Corral encircles and embraces.
It is never easy for me—it is a grueling walk and I’m about 125 years old—and due to the heat, the winds and a pair of very painful legs that require many stops due to an inherited problem, I almost gave in to the heat and the winds before completing my walk. At that moment, when I was thinking about turning back and going home unaccomplished, along came two passing drivers, sending me a wave and a smile. And it was that wave and smile I believe actually kept me going and propelled me up and around that mountain on a very difficult day.
And this has gone on for years. Almost every driver passing gives me, a total stranger, a thumbs-up, and I always respond with one arm in the air (each hand holding a one-pound weight), returning a wave and a smile. Often, if I am headed upward or downward and don’t see them, they’ll accompany their wave with a honk and then look in their rear-view mirror to make sure I caught it and responded.
I didn’t go up the mountain today—another boilermaker (I’m going to wait for Thursday)—and I decided to use the time instead to write a letter to thank all of you wonderful drivers who continue to propel me up and around that mountain. I want you all to know just how very, very much I value your wave and your smile.
Hermine “The Lady on the Mountain” Hilton