Nothing Slows Her Down

When I first met my friend Muriel, she walked with a limp. Polio. As she grew older, Muriel moved to using a walker and then a scooter. Undaunted, she purchased a huge van outfitted with a ramp. Tiny but mighty—and now 96—Muriel is a daredevil driver. Once when I was in the van with her, a cop pulled Muriel over. “You know, you were speeding,” he said. “Yes,” she replied, “and I slowed down just before you nabbed me.” The cop let Muriel go but heard her say to me, “No ticket— yay!” —Amy Greenberg

Stamford, Connecticut