It was an ordinary day. We were on our way to Annapolis. We were staying in Betterton Beach, MD for a week's vacation. We needed to get to the other side of the Chesapeake Bay so we checked the map and found if we traveled the Chesapeake Bay Bridge it would bring us directly into Annapolis. We followed the directions and soon were at the beginning of the bridge. This is a beautiful structure over the bay with a section on the east side that is flat for some distance before it rises and RISES to the top so the large boats can cross under it. The traffic was heavy that day, both in the water and on the bridge. My wife was pointing out the barges and freighters as I drove, not taking my eyes off the road ahead. Now, I have driven over bridges for 35-40 years and never once have had any trouble, but for some unexplained reason I just couldn't handle this. It hit me as we started the incline to the highest point. My wife looked at me and said, "what's the matter?" I was sweating heavily, but had cold chills. "I can't do this" I told her. "YOU HAVE TO!" she replied. Well, I couldn't!! I kept my foot on the pedal, closed my eyes, and kept the speed at what I thought was 55MPH while she steered, from the passengers side. Now, you have to remember how high we were above the water. I certainly did! Needless to say she did it. As we descended she told me we were near the bottom and I opened my eyes and took over again. After a very enjoyable day we switched positions on the way home so she could steer AND push the pedal at the same time. This tended to be a problem for a few years after as we would always change positions for the trip over large bridges. I finally gained confidence again and now have no trouble, but it was a scary few minutes that day my friends. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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