rules of the road

jake said i should just repost the blog i wrote when he got his license.  which is pretty funny - i mean, why not just save the time.  but as i've recently noted, i am not quite the same parent i was a mere 6 years ago.  so i think new perspective is required.  after all, my BABY just got his real, big boy, drivers license!!!

which means, among other things, that i am officially OLD!  with the capital O.

when your first kid gets their license, you are a nervous wreck....that part never changes.  but, like so many other things, by the time the 3rd kid rolls around, you know SO MUCH MORE - and therefore worry exponentially.  by this time, we have seen and heard of so many teen accidents.  the heartbreaking fatal ones. the scary fender benders - and everything in between.  and while i realize that accidents happen, it just seems like NOW there are so many more challenges to staying safe on the roads.

so, into this crazy, tumultuous, distraction-filled environment, i send forth my last little boy - with these thoughts:

Err on the side of caution.  if you arent sure if you can make it, don't even try.  if you are not sure if you should stop or not, you should.  if there is even a sliver of doubt in your mind, play it safe.  driving is NOT an area where you should be a risk-taker.

One moment of patience may ward off great disaster.  One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life.  ~Chinese Proverb

Better late than never. i know that being late is considered rude.  and i know your coach threatens you if you arent on time.  i know i even get mad when you keep me waiting.  and now that you are driving yourself - I DONT CARE.  it takes time to figure out how long it will take to get places.  ideally, you will leave early.  realistically, you wont.  you are a teenager.  who hasnt yet learned all of the life skills necessary to navigate around all the things life throws at you.  so until you have it all figured out, just be late.  do not try to "make up time" by driving faster - or taking chances.  just get there when you get there - in one piece.

Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.  ~John Quincy Adams

Road rage is stupid.  We are an angry society.  full of people who are constantly in a hurry.  who think their time is somehow more valuable than yours.  they will honk at you, tailgate you, swerve too close, flash their lights at you - and occasionally pull up next to you to flip you off.  these people are assholes.  who are only making themselves more miserable by being mad at something they have absolutely ZERO control over.  dont be one of them.  getting mad while you are driving serves no purpose.  all you can control is your attitude.  stay calm and let the jerks go on their not so merry way.

People who fly into a rage always make a bad landing. ~Will Rogers

Be patient.  i know this is a tough one for you.  me too.  but all different kinds of people are out there driving.  including your grandparents.  and MINE.  there are about a zillion very old people who still meander down the road.  and there are tons of kids like you - who are learning.  everyone drives at different speeds and with large variations of caution.  if you are stuck behind a nice little old lady going 30, just be patient with her.  you will both get where you are going eventually.  and none the worse for wear.

Adopt the pace of nature:  her secret is patience.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Stay FOCUSED.  yes, im talking about your phone. but im also talking about your music, your passengers (in 5 months!) and the food i am sure you will have in your car.  It only take ONE SECOND for things to change.  for someone in front of you to slam on their brakes. for a deer or a squirrel to run out in front of you.  for someone else to be texting and driving and not see you.  it is your number one job to pay attention THE ENTIRE TIME you are driving.  there is absolutely nothing happening in your car that is more important than what is going on outside of it.  if you need to answer your phone, or change your playlist - PULL OVER.  again, i would always rather you take the extra time and be late and SAFE - than try to multitask and get hurt.  its just not worth it.

A tree never hits an automobile except in self defense. ~American Proverb

Consider the consequences.  You probably think the worst thing that can happen is for you to get in an accident.  and that is certainly a worry.  but imagine that you hurt someone else.  badly.  is there anything happening on your phone that would be worth you having to explain to someone how sorry you are that you hurt their family.  or worse.  what you do in your car has ripple effects on so many different people. your family and friends, who dont want anything to happen to you.  and those same family and friends of every single other person on the road.  even the little old lady you are stuck behind. you not only have the potential to hurt yourself - but each of them as well.  so take extra care, always.

Better a thousand times careful than once dead. ~Proverb

Driving is a huge responsibility.  You are saying to every single other person on the road that you are responsible enough to take care with your life, and with theirs.  Don't ever take that lightly.  I have all the faith in the world in you.  Take that with you every single time you get behind the wheel.  After all, you are carrying my most precious cargo with you.