“The Driver Can Sense When the Passengers are Nervous….”

Clutch to floor.  Foot on brake.  Gears in neutral.  Key in ignition.  Good, now ease out clutch and foot on accelerator.  The wall, the wall.  Stop. Stop.  Pant, pant.  Run fingers through hair.  Why I am teaching my 13 year old how to drive?  Ok, no time for deep meditation.  Yes, you may restart the car and turn the wheel sharp to get us out of this tight spot.  Good.  No you can’t go driving through the airstrip, let’s just get home.  Pushing invisible pedals on passenger side.  Car comes to abrupt stall/stop in front of our home.  Then the profound words from my first born, “The driver can sense when the passengers are nervous, and thus he himself becomes nervous.”

 

Well put, I thought.  Was it only last week that we picked Darron up from the wicked flight (where one has to fly all night from Jakarta)?  What is one suppose to do that day other then try to keep awake and go to bed at a decent time?  So it was decided that we as a family would head to the beach.  Where Darron could rest as needed and all of us would just simply enjoy being together and the therapy that only sun, wind, sand and waves can bring.  The beach is only a 45 minute drive from our home.  If you could drive there on American roads you could probably arrive there in 20 minutes.  Rarely does one get about third gear because there are so many animals, potholes, washed out bridges, etc to keep one in ever ready reflex mode.  Darron was so tense with my incredible Indonesian driving skills (not) that at one point I exclaimed, “Do you want to drive?”  (smile….ok I wasn’t smiling, I was dead serious).  There were no further comments from Darron.  So when Aubrey made his statement to me about becoming nervous because of the passengers, I so could relate.

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Well we did make it to the beach…..with a little more wear and tear on the suspension/shocks and tires for all those potholes I took too fast (sorry Darron).  The beach proved to be the quiet oasis that our souls needed.  We drank in the relaxation and family time.  Darron drove home.  I was at complete ease with my husband at the wheel.  I think from now on I’ll let him teach all the boys how to drive.  To make it fair, I’ll teach the girls (I know, there are no girls, but who is counting?).  Perhaps Aubrey will not sense so much nervousness from his Dad and my hair will be not be in need of coloring or hair implanting any time soon.

 

Just to clarify, the driving age here is 17.  I have no intentions of my children driving on the roads any sooner.  Just aviation base is a perfect place to learn…if Darron is in town.  (winking again)

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