Teen Drivers - yeoweeee

Image of Don with his driver's permit. Max also has his. Sixteenth birthdays coming up soon - Don on October 30 and Max on November 3.

I remember letting Don drive our pickup out here a few years ago. After a few seconds of wild stops and starts, I realized he had never been behind the wheel in his life. He was giving it the good try but even though we were in the field, it was a bit tense.

Max has always loved machinery and would beg to drive (even as a little child).

Both teens will give their parents some sleepless nights and worry concerning their ability to drive and their ability to make good decisions. I don't think there is a parent who doesn't say a silent prayer every time the teens step out the door. I don't think there is a teen who doesn't think they are invincible.

My dad never let me drive the car or get my driver's license "because girls don't need to drive" until I was out of high school and needed it to get to my job. It didn't matter that I had been driving farm equipment and trucks since I was about nine. I'm sure he thought it was a way to keep me safe but he would have been better served by taking me out in the car and showing me how to drive on roads.

A friend had a very old Packard type car and she would pick up all the Taylor Twp. kids to go to things in the evening at school. She'd let us take turns driving and we would all drive as fast as possible on the gravel roads. The car was packed full of kids and we all were laughing and loving the speed. We would only slow down when the car started to loose control on the gravel. Yeah, that was a good driving practice. We thought only of the fun and never a thought to the consequences. None of us ever wreaked but it wasn't for lack of stupid decisions.

I also remember the time we went out in the morning to go to work. Trent had used the car the night before. We looked down and there were corn stalks protruding out from under the sides. I say, "What were you doing?" Trent, "Nothing." Me, "Were you driving in a corn field?" Trent, "No!" It was the teen reaction of deny in the absence of logic.

Every generation is the same and that is why we as parents realize the dangers. I'm sure my dad was trying to protect me because he remembered driving crazy (a life long driving practice for him.) Ask any of his nephews how big a thrill it was to ride to lunch with dad at 90+ mph.

So to Don and Max, "Congratulations and be safe." To their parents, "Sorry for the years of worry - it's your turn."