By Jenni Thompson
Adam Petty was someone that I never met, and never will meet. I saw him race in the Busch Series one time, and I was hoping to see him there again this year. I expected to watch Adam become a superstar in the Winston Cup Series, and he would have been huge…if only there hadn’t been May twelfth.
I was very near to Adam in age, only a year or so younger. Being eighteen years old made me feel invincible, like nothing could ever happen to me. All of that changed the day Adam passed away. I had been a fan of Adam’s ever since I saw him race on a cloudy October day in Tennessee. The thing that drew me to him was his smile, the trademark Petty smile.
I recall sitting very high in the grandstand waiting for Adam to be introduced during driver introductions. When he finally came by, I was dazzled by his smile. From way up, I could see the shining smile on his face. He was genuinely happy to be there, honored to be starting on the front row. He was at home.
My dad took a picture of the moment he rode by on the car. Also in the picture were some of the people sitting below us. I took that picture out the day Adam died. I studied it closely and my eyes were drawn to the people in the stands. One man in particular had his back to the track, his back to Adam. I questioned him silently, how could you turn away?
The night of the twefth there was a severe thunderstorm with pounding rains, wind, thunder, and lightning. Amidst the chaos I sat down to write a tribute, a poem for Adam that follows:
For Adam
Today was no different, and the green flag soared,
But, the One who waved it was the Lord.
The white flag was next, and it did flap,
As the wind picked up to signal one last lap.
Goodbye, you were great, is what I wanted to say,
If only I had known that you would die today.
I loved your smile, and the glow in your eyes,
Oh, it’s only the good who is young when he dies.
And you were the best, or could have been,
If only time the Lord would send.
But time is up, Adam, it’s time to go,
Savor the speed, for soon you will slow.
You will fly into heaven, your home,
But Lee is there, you won’t be alone.
I see the checkered, you’re the first one by,
Godspeed you to heaven, I love you, goodbye.
When I wrote that poem my outlook changed. Before Adam, I took each day for granted. I lived for only myself. I looked forward to the future, making plans for tomorrow, next week, two years from now. I never thought about today. I missed the beauty of sunshine, of cooling rains, and of the outdoors. I took joy out of future plans, not from the present. I realize now how many days that I have truly wasted.
So, today I want to live. I want enjoy waking up in the morning, even if it is at six o’clock. I want to love eating breakfast and taking my vitamins. I want to drink all my milk until the glass is empty. I want to have the joy of locking the door, because it means I have my own key. I want to drive to work or to school and make believe that I’m a racecar driver, within the speed limit, of course. I want to say, “Good morning, how are you?” and mean it. I want to smile like Adam would have done. I want everyone to see the glow in my eyes, the glow in my life, because I’m living.
I want to open the mailbox and be happy that there is mail, even if it’s another credit card bill. I want to come home at night and recognize how lucky I am for having a family to come home to. I want to enjoy an evening meal with my parents and hear about how they are doing. I want to realize that they won’t be there forever, and show them my love today while I can. I want to read my Bible, say my prayers, and drift into gentle sleep. I want to start all over again. I want my “I want” to become “I will.”
Something good did come from Adam Petty’s death, and that’s my attitude. You could never imagine how much you affect other people. And all this from someone I never knew.
Copyright by me, Jenni Thompson, 2000. You may use this only by permission. Contact me at JeffGordonFan99@hotmail.com
--Indian Proverb
Will
Forever
Race On
In Our
Hearts
By Jenni Thompson
Tonight I cried, then cried some more,
No different than any night before.
But something is different inside my heart,
I feel the healing about to start.
Your death was the hardest I'd had to face,
And the pain of that, time can never erase.
I know now that I can honestly say,
My life hasn't seemed real since the 12th of May.
So, now I take joy from having seen you,
And witnessing your dazzling smile so true.
I was lucky, for finally I see,
Even though you will never know me.
I'll take you with me each day I trod
This Earth, and you're with God.
I love you, Adam, I want to show,
But amongst the stars, I think you know.
Copyright by Jenni Thompson, 2000
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