Recently Papa’s mind has been focused on his inability to continue a full day’s care for the youngest. The boy has become too heavy. My joints are too stiff. The reality of his crawling and soon thereafter of walking did me in. How can one care for someone you can’t keep up with? So, with an overburdened mind, I lost track of the opposite end of the age spectrum. I overlooked that certain twins are eligible to start the learner’s permit process. Followed by driiving the highways and by-ways of America.
You are smart enough to know that great responsibility comes with a driver’s license. It is a serious matter. I’m not sure how to impart an important piece of inforamation except that it is something I hope becomes a part of you. Many new license holders are overly nervous about getting behind the wheel of an automobile. Others are recklessly cocky about their ability. Neither is good. What I hope for you is an actual mental transformation that you feel and act in charge of the motor vehicle. Driving can bring great joy, perform useful service and do substantial damage.
I know of two young drivers who got into cars which were parked on the driveway of the family home and promptly backed into a vehicle parked behind their car. Yes, it is good to do simple checks of one’s surrpundings before getting into a car. I also know of two high school mates who had fender benders within six months of starting to drive. It is a critical time. Check internal nervousness at the driveway/curb and get into the vehicle with a sense of individual confidence.
Papa had a very near catostraphic experience during his high school years. Almost ran a woman down. The prelude was a mess up by my brothers (Of course) at university. Dad brought the 1958 Impala convertible home for some forgotten transgression of his rules. A beautiful convertible became available for my use. So, it came to pass that I drove a good friend and another guy from school across town on a sunny day. This other guy was cut from a different mold than us. He was nice but more boistrous. A football player and wrestler who was quite animated. The only thing he and I had in common was the good fortune of dating twin sisters. He commandeered the shotgun seat, sprawled out with feet on dash and quickly manipulated radio stations/volumne controls. We were soon on our way.
I drove up a side street to the four way stop on 84th street. At the intersetion I stopped. And, waited. There was no traffic coming from either my right or left. Nor, was there a car coming towards me. My car was alone at the stop sign. At that point my co-pilot decided to take matters into his hands. Actaully, into his feet. I can’t recall if that ’58 car had seats belts but he was able to extend his left leg out and onto the gas pedal while saying, “What are you waiting for? Lets see what this car’s got.” He floored the gas pedal.
That car was indeed quite peppy and it roared forward into the intersection. I’m no longer sure if my right foot was under his or if I simply pushed his foot away while starting to brake. However, it was so sudden that the engine died with the on and off gas feed. We drifted a few feet before we came to a stop; just a few feet away from a woman who was crossing the street. There had been no cars at the intersection but I had been waiting for a lady with a bag of groceries to cross in front of me. The poor woman was startled. It didn’t take a genius to know what thought was forming in her mind from the look on her face. It was directed at me. Mister lead foot realized what he had done and was calm and quiet fir the rest of our trip.
I now have years of driving experience as well as decades in courtrooms and it is clear that I’d have had a very diffiuclt time reducing my responsibilty back then. Papa dodged a bullet. Lesson of the story is that when you get behind the wheel of an automobile expect the unexpected.