Safety first. Family, me, the car, and every other car.
I got my learner's permit when I was 15. I got my first car when I was 17. Before the pandemic, I had been driving on a daily basis for about 40 years. I have seen enough crazy stuff on the road to develop what I think is a healthy level of paranoia. I use that elevated awareness to protect myself and my family when we’re on the road.
I’ve been in a few fender benders that could have been a lot worse, and that is where the paranoia comes from. I’m also blind in one eye and deaf in one ear. I can recall that one of my fender benders occurred because I did not see the car coming from my blind side. That only had to happen to me once, and that experience raises my sense of uncertainty. So I try to keep my assumptions about what is happening around me to a minimum when I’m on the road.
My First Driving Lesson With Dad
Here, I give thanks to my parents. My mom signed me up for driving lessons, and that was uneventful. I took directions well and took mental notes in earnest. I really wanted that drivers’ license. Then one day after I got lessons from a pro, I got one lesson from my dad.
My dad was deadly serious about driving the right way. I recall my first driving lesson from my dad very well. We were on…
