Cars and Me

In the last six weeks, I have been stretched (I don't like the cliched word) in my role as a driver.  I was apprehensive about driving Susan's Minivan in Princeton,  but I was needed to transport children and get groceries when I visited in June.  I did it and enjoyed it.  I was not required to drive it into their very narrow garage and I avoided parallel parking on downtown streets however!

Last week at Laura and Michael's, I drove a Lexus and an Acura with three grandchildren in the back--sometimes singing at the top of their voices on their way home from camp, "We are the Riverbend, Mighty, mighty Riverbend..."  and then "Louder!"  The roads were narrow and traffic was heavy in the Philadelphia Main Line suburbs but Garmin and I did well even if she had to "recalculate" several times.

Yesterday, I decided that it was too complicated and time-consuming for Dan to take a bus or train from O'Hare to South Bend so I would drive to get him.  He thanked me for my "generous offer."  The traffic was so heavy and there was a detour and I missed holding up our transponder to some open tolling places and signs to the cell phone lot were small and I was told to move on at the terminal.  But we did meet up on my second round and the ride back to South Bend, even though I 294 was a parking lot at times, was a pleasant one of conversation with my son.

I don't like to drive.  I incorporate errands so that I am not on the road for extended times.  But I like to go places and I hope I can meet the challenge of driving for many years yet.  It's a sad day when one's keys are confiscated by others.  I hope I can give it up before that happens as well.