Now That I Think About It

I'm learning to drive. And as I learn that skill, I have come to a quasi-profound conclusion. Life is all about getting experience without getting killed. In driving, that's a very literal fact. My job is to learn all about trucks' air currents sucking you in as they pass at 5 billion miles per hour, and the fact that every blonde teen with more than nine piercings will scream up to your vehicle at 95 mph, sit in your backseat for less than two seconds, pass you with inches-to spare, and move on to the next victim. The trick is to gain this valuable knowledge without dying. (That's very important.) Luckily, I have only a drivers permit right now. So that means that I get coaching from the best teacher in the world. My dad.

Have you ever wondered why it is that some animals can pop out of the egg, and have all the information they need to survive? Take an ant for existence. It pops out of it's egg, and immediately starts work on whatever it needs to do. It's simply amazing. It also seems that the more complex an animal is, the more time it needs to be protected while it learns those valuable, deadly lessons of life. I, for one, will take 18-50 years. :)

When my dad is in the car with me, I'm reminded of a parent teaching their child to walk. The parent carefully leans over, holding the fingers of the kid, holding them up (Put it in drive, son.) until the child starts to run... Then he has to let go, but stays close, so that if the child falls, he can catch him. (That's a *red* light Evan!) Sometimes, the parent has to let the child fall, to teach him a lesson. (You missed the exit.) But I've found that parents always are ready with good old Hydrogen Peroxide and Band-Aids to help with the scrape. (Turn into the gas station, go out the back, and you're back on the road. Try again...) Parents just know this stuff. My dad is awesome. He knows when my knees are "wobbling" and I can't go on walking by myself, both in driving, and in my day to day life. I'm glad that he can tell. I just have to swallow my pride, and grab his waiting hands.