Names have been changed to protect the guilty.
Many parents had told Julia that she would love it when her children would start driving. She couldn't help, but agree, having one of her children begin driving four years ago.
Julia lived in the country. In the country, she experienced a lot of slow moving vehicles during the Fall. "Why aren't you passing that tractor? Gosh, can't that tractor pulling the plow move any faster?! Pass the feed truck! What's the problem with that truck pulling a trailer full of cows, it should be going the speed limit!" Knowing the answer, Julia kept them to herself. She wanted to be the example of a patient and safe driver for Jackie.
"You know you're too far back (in the turn lane), don't you? Blinded by the sun, Julia told Jackie the sun was blocking her vision. The light turned green. "Julia, it's green!" In an exasperated tone, Julia responded, "I can see that!" Equally frustrated, Jackie quipped, "Well, you said you couldn't see, the sun was blocking your vision." "Obviously, I saw it was a red light because I stopped!" Julia stated angrily." "Geez, I'm just trying to help," Jackie stated, getting the last word. Silence. Julia uttered a sigh of relief (the last unspoken word) and continued on...
"Is it legal to pass on the left?"(at a green light when the car in front of you has its blinker on to turn right?) Jackie asked Julia as she performed this while driving only a block from the last stoplight. "Well, you should always look in your rearview mirror and blind spot on your right before you pass," Julia stated, unsure of the correct answer and thinking to herself, it must be, I've never gotten pulled over and all the other drivers do it...Julia silently feared if it was illegal; Jackie (and Julia) would find out if Jackie performed the action during her road test.
"Why are you going this way?" Jackie asked Julia when she took a left vs. the right she usually took to drop Jackie off at school. BECAUSE, I'M THE DRIVER, DAMMIT! Breathe...one. Two. Three. Julia took a deep breath and responded, "I have a doctor's appointment and if I go this way, the doctor's office is easier to get to, it will be on my right..." "I don't think it makes a difference, you know I hate it when you take this way," Jackie interrupted.
Silence, once again, until they arrived at school. "I love you, have a good day at school," Julia told Jackie as she quickly got out of the car and walked away. On a "good" day, Jackie would respond to the ritualistic goodbye with a, "Thanks for the ride, love you, too" Not today.
Julia enjoyed the quiet ride home and had time to think. Maybe, this would be a good time to change the rule of the oldest in the family always rides shotgun in the car...until they take driver's ed...and then they would have to move to the backseat to observe the driver's skills? Julia was in her mid-forties and was getting better at the selective hearing she observed from her husband after 23 years of marriage...when Jackie asks or states something about her driving, a few "What's? from Julia would eventually frustrate Jackie into silence while sitting in the back seat.
As Julia pulled in the driveway, she knew it was best not to change the "rule" they made 10 years ago (about the oldest riding shotgun) and reflected. She was glad that Jackie was observant and interested in applying what she had learned and appreciated her heightened sense awareness about the laws of driving. Knowing Jackie was observing and was more aware about her driving skills, made Julia a (slightly) more conscientious driver. Still, Julia, couldn't help but be excited for another driver in the house. This time for a different reason.
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