Monkeys on My Back

So perhaps I was merely ignorant the first time someone made that comment to me after I got my super cute monkey seat covers installed in my car. I had no idea what that particular idiom meant. No, I do not have a figurative monkey on my back (or a serious problem that will not go away), but when I drive I have a literal monkey on my back and I love it. The seat covers have been quite a topic of conversation. Mom says every time she rides in my car, she tries to wipe the banana off the seat. When I have passengers in the back, they play with the monkey tails, and are a little disappointed to find that they are in fact sewn onto the seat covers.

Perhaps my favorite encounter was yesterday afternoon. I was driving down a fairly busy four-lane road, minding my own business. I came to a stop light, and like any responsible driver would do, I slowed down in preparation of stopping behind the car in front of me. Suddenly, I heard honking somewhere behind me. A myriad of thoughts went through my mind: "What did I do?" "Is something wrong with my car?" "Are they even honking at me?" "Is it someone who knows me?" Shortly thereafter, the car next to me signaled for me to roll down my window. "Oh no," I thought. "What's wrong?" Fortunately, it was just a curious driver who happened to be heading the same direction as me and wanted to know where I got my super cute seat covers! She was quite friendly about it . . . and laughed about how they bring a whole new meaning to having a monkey on your back!