This is Deputy Digby Pancake.  Some days you wake up and think that you are safe.  Some days, you don’t worry about what is out to get you or who.  You just want to have a good day and you are.  Until you go around the corner and see it.  The imposter.

Now, I am not one for being scared unless there is a storm.  Or loud noise. Or car door shutting.  Or a crab.  Or a boardwalk, a boat, or a metal grate to go across.  Or a rabid cat.  Or when the clock hits 5:01 and my dinner still isn’t served.  So yeah, generally, I am not one for being scared.  But sometimes, things pop up that scare you out of nowhere.  And they are quiet about it.  They are softly singing a tune of out to get yaness.

There is only one Big Blue Treat Wagon RV I was told.  One that went across the country more times that we know of.  One that brought us to all of those rescues and shelters.  One that broke down in a Wal-mart parking lot in Comstock, Texas.

One that tried to quit on the Blue Ridge Parkway in the middle of a hurricane evacuation.  One that transported a mouse or two across state lines.  Just one Big Blue Treat Wagon RV.

There is only one Big Blue Treat Wagon RV that has to have its slide outs put in every time it rains.

One that has a rotted roof near the kitchen. One that blows dust on everyone within a ten mile radius when moving.  Just one. You’ve never seen scared before until you watch people as we enter into a campground scrambling for their lungs’ lives.

But then, there.  There it was.  We went for our morning drive and we saw it.  The imposter.  The imposter of all imposters.  It looked like the Big Blue Treat Wagon except cleaner.  It looked like the Big Blue Treat Wagon except its slide outs were…out.  It looked like the Big Blue Treat Wagon except it’s curtain wasn’t torn, the window shades weren’t fallen down, and it looked like the Big Blue Treat Wagon except we weren’t in it.  I could only imagine how clean it was inside too without all the dog hair and broken dreams.

Girl Person started laughing at the imposter and said that she was surprised to see another one exactly like it.  She said she hoped that they didn’t see ours and the shape it was in.  That would be quite embarrassing.  But I didn’t understand that. At all.

Sure, this imposter looked good.  Great, in fact.  Sure, it looked almost brand new!  But I wondered.  If our Big Blue Treat Wagon and the imposter had a race, who would win?  I knew that would be dependent on what they were racing to.  To a destination or to parking lot? I know the Big Blue Treat Wagon and I know it only goes when and where it wants to. Kind of like us. And for now, this is where we want to be. So our Big Blue Treat Wagon isn’t going anywhere.  Probably because the jacks won’t come up. Well, one might to tip us over.

Isn’t it easy to compare ourselves to others? But no one knows the mileage we have on us.  No one knows where we have been or where we have broke down. Unless you saw us on the side of the road in more than 20 states. But we never gave up on Big Blue for another.

The imposter may be clean and beautiful and I know its family loves it.  But the Big Blue Treat Wagon is our family too.  It has kept us safe thru many adventures and has been our home.  One day, we may have to part.  But no tomorrow is guaranteed with the ones we love.  Appreciate the ones in your life that love you. Don’t compare them to others, or think that the grass is greener on the other side.  Remember your history and the love that you share. There will be breakdowns. Bumps in the road.  Jacks that don’t come up. Leaks and air conditoning mishaps.

There will be times you run out of gas.  But don’t give up. Just like you wouldn’t want someone to give up on you.  Ignore the imposters and carry on.

-Deputy Digby Pancake

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