My son who turned 16 last month drove his car by himself this past Tuesday (6/2/15). He was driving to a friend’s house. I watched him back out of the garage and drive off! I kept watching until…I was left in silence and an empty spot in the garage.
I told my son two things that my Dad had told me when I was learning to drive – One, to keep two car distance between your car and the car in front of you, and two, to slow down when you see yellow light in order to stop on red. My dad’s reasoning behind that was to simply teach us good driving habits – to drive with a relaxed mind! He had said once that yellow means to slow down not speed up. He had also said that it generally took only a minute for a light to change from red to green. Passing down driving advice to my son has forced me to look into my own driving habits!
My car is my second home. I am in it a lot. While in it, I am generally tuning my radio to the news or music. Less than frequently and more than rarely, I’m eating in there, too. My favorite car food is a yummy peanut butter & jelly sandwich on toasted wheat bread slices. I accompany that with a bag of Frito Lays Corn Chips! (You say, it is junk food. Yes. But please, I’d like to keep this habit going). This lunch is the best! It’s a combination of sweet, salty, gooey and crunchy! No fuss and no mess! Also, I take a mug of hot tea. I’m happy sipping on it as I drive to my next destination. Everything is cozily placed right beside me…I like that! My Dad would not like that at all. He considered eating in a car to be a big distraction. But I cannot help it. So, as I am driving and eating and drinking and listening to the radio; I’m also, at the same time engaging myself into my thoughts. I think about my day, my week, my year, and frequently about my life, and purpose of my being here on Earth. My thoughts travel from my kids, my husband, my friends, my dogs, to the people who I have met momentarily, but who have had a meaningful impact on my life. Sounds pretty deep! And, definitely not what you may call – a relaxed driving:). It is for me though.
Talk about a bigger distraction here! Thomas and Dixie, the two family dogs, are in the car with me more times than less. They are my additional source of entertainment (or distraction), however you may want to look at it. (Dogs in the car would be a big No if my Dad knew about it).
And, then I have my sweet beagle, Thomas, a royal dog by all means! He loves to stick his head out through the back window and enjoy the breeze!
Despite those hard moments, driving does give me a sense of peace! It happens when I finally find myself alone in the car! I have complete control! Complete control of the music being played, the volume, the thermostat, and the fan speed. But the icing on the cake is having the control to choose silence in the car. The sounds I do hear in that silence are the humming sounds from the approaching cars whizzing by me, leaving me behind. Soothing to my ears! (Crazy but true).
🙋🏻 until next time…
Just to say…you shouldn’t take pictures while driving! It’s not safe. I guess you’re not in the UK but it’s illegal to use your cell phone while driving here.
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Yes, you are so right. I shouldn’t be driving and taking pictures. I have a great camera and I should start using and while I am not driving. I respect your advice. Thanks. And, thanks for giving me feedback on my blog. I am so darn new at this!!!
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P.S. Your dog is cool.
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Thank you. They are very sweet and loving. They bring joy to me and my family. They are family!!
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