Okay…so I’m finally there.  My baby girl isn’t a baby girl anymore.  In fact she turned 15 last month and is blossoming into a fine young woman and I am very proud of her.  And as with every child since the 1950’s, it’s time for her to train for her next rite of passage…her driver’s license!
Now ordinarily that would not bother me.  When I was 15 I enrolled in Driver’s Ed that was taught by the State of Texas DPS on high school time (my birthday is in July so I didn’t take it in the summer like everyone else did).  I had a little help from Mom and Dad before then but not much.  I was okay with that because I did (and still do) have a motorcycle license.  So many of the basics I already had pretty much conquered.  Now fast forward 35 years.
Many things have changed about the way Driver’s Ed is taught and I don’t believe it is for the better.  So I am taking a firm hand in her education.  “Put the radio in one place and leave it or shut it off.”  Rule number 1 has been espoused (wish my Dad had dropped that one on me – might have saved a ticket or two).  Rule number 2, “IGNORE YOUR CELLPHONE!!!!”  This one will be especially difficult for her.  She is the product of this time and is glued to her cellie.  Rule number 3 (one of my fav’s), “Don’t just look twice when crossing and intersection; look three or more times.”  And then came rule number 4.  This one brought up a bit of controversy at the ol casa.  This rule deals with right of way.  Now everyone nows that certain vehicles have the right of way in certain situations.  But I think my version cuts to the chase and throws all of the exceptions out the window:  “Rule number 4…The bigger the vehicle the more right of way it has!”  Think about it.  It applies in almost all situations.  You might even go so far as to add the Autobahn postulate, which clearly states, “the faster the speed the more right of way you have.”  (Any of my German readers please feel free to correct me on this).  Onwards…
Rule number 5, “Train your eyes to see things that might happen.”  This was an easy skill to develop in my motorcycle days.  Particularly growing up in South Texas where a full third or more of the residents were from up North in the winter time.  They seemed to not be able to deal with motorcycles very well and often times tried to run me and my compadres off the road.  A little unnerving at first but we got used to it.  This has been a fun rule to learn as we drive down the road and I ask, “What do you see?”  Followed by answered like potholes, kid’s bikes, speed limit signs, etc.  She is aware of much more than I anticipated.
These are the rules I have covered so far.  We still have the Three Second Rule and a host of others yet engage, but this journey with her has been…Fun!
She is not afraid to ask questions and seeks my approval before wanting to go to the next level.  Pretty good kid I gotta say!

We may have to revisit this as time progresses…Technorati Tags: , , , ,