Learner's Permit

Back in September Rebecca got her learner's permit. She could have gotten it as early as August 23rd but hadn't read the manual and I told her I wouldn't take her until she did. So she finally got around to reading it and we went. In her typical split personality fashion the ditsy little free spirit passed the test with flying colors, only missing three questions when she could miss six. The permit didn't do much for desire to drive though. She'd only want to drive on the back road around our house - refusing to drive to and from school or to the store or to dance. She didn't want to drive around cars she'd say. I figured oh well - no sense pushing it, she'd do it when she was ready. Sure enough, a few weeks ago she jumped in, drove us around one Saturday as we ran all our errands for the day. She's not a "toe dipper." Rebecca tends to wander around the shore for a while until she decides to just take a running leap and jump.

She drives me around a lot now... she has flashes of brilliance at times - when she's "on" she does really well but then there are those times... the times I feel I'm either riding with Mr. Magoo or reenacting the scene in Talladega Nights were Ricky Bobby drives blindfolded. She has a tendency to take turns at breakneck speeds or to wait until the very last moment to slow down at stop lights or behind other cars. She's gotten better at maintaining a constant speed and staying in her own lane. If she comes to a stop light in the process of turning yellow she'll hesitate - an internal conflict raging within - stop?go?stop?go? stop... FLOOR IT! I'm wearing out that mythical passenger side brake.

Another funny dimension to this whole experience is the fact Joshua is an adult and can act as a licensed driver over the age of 21 in the passenger seat. He and Holly have made comments about having a new respect for their parents for what we went through helping them... this whole "full circle" thing is a hoot! Joshua and Rebecca have both asked me which one of them is/was a better/worse driver than the other and honestly, I'm having a hard time answering that. I think teaching your child how to drive is a lot like child birth - you block the memory of the pain, it's what makes subsequent children possible. I remember taking Joshua for his permit test, taking him for his driver's tests (yes testS) and then I very vividly remember watching him drive away alone for the first time after getting his license. I don't remember all the in between stuff... yeah um... I've blocked it - that's the only explanation I can come up with - The trauma of the experience was waaaaaaaaaaay too much for me to take. I remember nothing. Amnesia.

The whole experience is funny though... she'll do something a little scary, I'll grit my teeth and try to calmly tell her what she should be doing and we keep going. I've noticed I chew more gum while she's driving. When I don't have gum I bite my tongue... literally. We'll get through it - and at some point she'll be ready to try for the license... and I will watch her drive away for the first time, all alone. I'll watch until she rounds the curve and disappears from sight, another bittersweet rite of passage :-)