Since we're having the "new" small car made ready for the girls to drive, that will require that they be legally able to do so.
It may be surprising to some, but what is not unusual up here is that Melanie (age 22) does not have a driver's license. It's fairly common in Anchorage, although that seems foreign to me. When I turned 16, I couldn't wait to get my license. I took the driving test on my 16th birthday, in fact. Didn't do all that well, because I hadn't been behind the wheel in several months, but I took it.
A number of acquaintances here have related to me that their old-enough-to-drive offspring haven't been in any rush to do so. Mel works two blocks from home, and usually walks to work. She has also been known to call me late at night when a blizzard is in progress at quitting time, and ask me to come get her.
She's about to learn that it takes longer to clear all the heavy snow & get the vehicle ready, than it does to just hoof it that relatively short distance. On the other hand, when it's -27 with a wind chill of -40 or colder, having Dad show up with a half-warmed up SUV seems like a pretty good thing.
I guess I can't blame her for that, come to think of it.
The point of this post, however, is that now that a car is in the works, she's anxious to get that license. We spent an hour tonight, circling the parking lots at the property I manage. It has been over a year since the last time she drove, and the beginning was predictable: jerky and spasmodic. Things calmed down pretty quickly, and her movements became much smoother, as I expected. Since it was dark, she had a bit of trouble seeing where the car should be, judging only by stripes on the empty lot, but was making remarks about "I'm a little too far over" or "should have cut that turn a little sharper" by the end of the hour.
An awareness of the car's position relative to the road is a good thing, and a thing that many experienced drivers don't seem to yet have. Mel's becoming aware of her position already, after just an hour of practice, so that's a real good first step.
And I needed neither tranquilizers nor liquor when we were done. (grin) That's a very good thing.
John 12:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."
5 comments:
I wonder if the Time Being is like the Supreme Being from Time Bandits?
I still remember my wife standing in our driveway the first time our son took my truck out for his very first solo drive...she stood there for over an hour. Would NOT move. I didn't say a word. I sat on the porch.
Assuming that she's paying for her car insurance and fuel, it'll be interesting to see if she maintains her enthusiasm.
My standing rule is NEVER teach your own kid... PAY somebody :-)
Aaahh. But do you need any stitches in your tongue?
That's not too bad a rule Old NFO has. We tried it both ways. Paid for lessons so they had a certificate worth a deduction on the insurance and Dad and Mom in the passenger seat on other drives when they had permit in hand. Both were a wee bit nerve wracking.
Good luck to the girls...and you.
Post a Comment