My daughter passed her driver's test last Saturday and that got me to thinking about driving and how much of it I have done in my lifetime. I think it would be interesting if someone kept a log of all the miles they drive from the time they get their license until they stop driving---maybe someone has...
I still have a few memories of my Driver's Ed classes. Once the teacher had us swing by his house and he came out eating something and I complained about him not bringing back something for his drivers. One time I was driving down a curved slope on my way back to the school from a road drive and I got distracted and made a slightly scary over correction to avoid jumping the curb. My teacher stayed very calm and I was very embarrassed but thankful I hadn't crashed. Speaking of crashes--- I also remember a gruesome movie that was shown to all of the Driver's Ed classes. I think it was called mechanized death or something. (An updated version is still shown today) It showed the gory consequences of careless driving. Multiple Driver's Ed classes were packed like sardines in one classroom so I had to stand throughout the entire movie trying hard not to faint (and I don't faint easily). The movie made a lasting impression and for the most part accomplished its purpose of scaring me into being cautious but I think it also had something to do with me not being very eager to drive once I got my license. My Mom would think up errands just to get me driving. Oddly enough, something that helped me relax a bit about driving was riding with a gutsy friend of mine either to college classes or just goofing off. She got a cute little white stick shift Pontiac Sunbird for a graduation gift. She could eat, drink, and shift with the greatest of ease. No worries---
Before I got married I logged most of my driving hours commuting from my home to college. Then there were drives downtown in my little blue Pinto to work at J.C. Penney (I got cheap thrills and good steering practice going quite fast down their parking ramp) and then drives to discos including one clear in Orem---The Disco Palace I think it was called--(I hear laughing but it was truly a big event in an LDS disco queen's life to go to the super cool Disco Palace) that I went to one winter with some friends. I drove in my little Mustang II with a heater and defrost that didn't work. I took blankets for my friends but since even back then I knew it wasn't good to drive with a blanket over your legs, my dancing feet were pretty much frozen by the time I made it home.
After marriage my driving was mainly to and from work and when our first daughter was going on two we moved to a place I had only known before as a turning around spot on Sunday drives. It put us quite a ways from my parents. Although a friend from California once said that what is considered a long commute or drive to a Utahan really isn't long at all. As a stay-at-home mom most of my driving consisted of short trips---to the grocery store, the library, dentist and doctor appointments---the main long trips were to visit my parents
Once my kids were in school and old enough to have social calendars of their own I soon fell--notice I did say fell not slipped-- into the role of Chauffeur Mom. Of course the only thing I had in common with regular chauffeurs was the driving and the waiting. I never had a real smart looking uniform and there were times I wished for a clear divider between myself and the back seats. It would have been soothing to my sometimes frazzled nerves to block out some of the arguing and whining. But on second thought with a divider I would have missed out on a lot of fun and interesting conversations...
All of our kids at one time attended schools out of our neighborhood so I spent a fair amount of time taking my kids to school and picking them up. Luckily we carpooled most of the time. Carpools bring their own unique drama and adventure to daily life---for the most part we were fortunate(blessed in some cases) to be in good ones. After giving me a day off my husband remarked how challenging it must be to get anything done because of my day being so broken up into small windows of time. I think I gave him an 'if you only knew' smile. The days that were not my days to drive did hold a certain amount of luxury. All the school driving was hectic but it definitely had its good times and brings back good memories. It was fun to hear the chatter of the kids. Sometimes they would play games. Sometimes they would be very tired and quiet and sometimes they would have fun listening to our eclectic collection of music. Weird Al, Kermit Unpigged, Cheech Marin's songs for kids, Dr. Demento---were all part of our School Car Pool play list. You can't help but have a good time listening to Miss Piggy and Ozzy Osbourne rock out on Born To Be Wild. Of course in the early days we would listen to a local radio station for kids called The Imagination Station. It was there that we were introduced to such unique songs as Fish Heads and Star Trekin. I enjoyed that station every bit as much as my kids. (okay--maybe even more) It made me giggle and made driving fun. Unfortunately, the station was bought out by Radio Disney which is kind of like your favorite Mom and Pop drive-in being bought out by McDonald's. There goes the uniqueness. Sometimes I felt like the car and I were on autopilot because of traveling the same roads so often to and from school but those days passed all too quickly. For all my complaining, there was actually something comforting driving my kids places. The day you wave to your child as they take off by themselves in the car with a license of their own is the day you know nothing will ever be the same again...
So any way...I have driven many many miles since I got my very first brand new super exciting driver's license and sometimes I love to have someone else drive me places, but after having a mom who wasn't able to drive and watching my Dad have to give up driving and all the independence that goes with it when he got Alzheimer's, I am grateful that I have a license to drive. It does come in handy having your children be drivers (Someday they will probably be taking me to doctor and dentist appointments and hopefully to the library---maybe we can listen to Weird Al---) although at first it is indescribably frightening.
Happy driving! What's the view from your windshield?
