Slow Mary

On March 21, 2020 my employer asked all of us to work from home due to the coronavirus.  I was a bit surprised, because I am the receptionist, but we had already started to keep the door locked at all time, so no one could enter the offices.  As it turned out I did not have the internet service level required to support the telephone system, so on April 2 I returned to the office, and have been in the office every week day since that day.

To get to work I drive approximately 50 miles down the I-90 Illinois Toll Road.  This toll road is 3 lanes in each direction for the entirety of my trip. 

I have come to “know” some of my fellow travelers… most noticeable is one woman I call “Slow Mary”.  Slow Mary drives a grey minivan, with a “Q” in the license plate digits. I don’t know why, but Slow Mary goes only about 55 miles an hour.  All vehicles wizz on by her, as she plods along. Every other vehicle on the toll road is going more than 65mph, a few of us are doing at least 80mph, and a small number are going in excess of 90mph.  But Slow Mary plods along at a turtles pace.

On rare occasion I have seen her in the morning, on her way to wherever she goes….

Yes, slow and steady wins the race, but I cannot imagine have my commute take longer than it already does.  Therefore I cannot fathom this woman,… is she afraid? Does she think she is saving fuel? Does she really have all the time in the world? 

It is a comforting site, though, to see Slow Mary every evening somewhere beyond the Hampshire truck stop, but before the Genoa Road exit.  The familiar is a comfort.