I know! It is has been a minute since my last driving saga. You probably thought that I lost the fight and the girl killed me dead with her driving. You would almost be correct. We have had a few more close calls, but definitely a couple worth mentioning.
A while ago, we were out selling some Girl Scout cookies. After a few minutes, it gets kind of boring. Tay was feeling particularly unmotivated and we were in for a six hour shift that day. She just wanted to sit there and stare at the craziness going on around us, but we had some cookies to get rid of, so I had to think of something quick! I told her that I would risk my life and let her drive into town if she could sell 120 boxes of cookies. Guess what motivates the Girl Scout. You guessed it! Driving.
She came alive and sold 121 boxes. 121! Are you even kidding me! I decided that she was definitely going to kill me trying to turn left onto the road out in front of the grocery store. So I modified my agreement and drove her into town to a location I figured would be safe enough, a little market tucked away on the back roads.
All was going well. She checked her mirrors, put on her seatbelt, and put the car in reverse. I made sure of that last step because that same little market had a car go right through the front door a year ago because someone didn’t check to make sure they were in reverse.
She started driving toward the street down on the left of the parking lot exit. I may have done the panic voice as I gently tried to remind her to exit to the right because in America we drive on the right side of the road and we don’t plan on driving in Europe any time soon. At this point, she does a quick turn into a parking space by the exit yelling “That’s it! I’m done!”
After I stopped laughing, I told her to get it together and guided her back to the road. I am now a hero! I reminded her to stay to the right. To the right, but toward the yellow. Is that too much to ask?
She made it to our destination, even crossing through what is usually a dangerous intersection. Nobody was coming either direction which is the only reason I trusted her to do it. I was fully prepared to turn right and drive far enough down the road that we could turn left when it wasn’t risky. It saved us a lot of time to get to quickly turn left.
When we finished up at our destination, she gave me another one of those…please, please, please let me drive puppy dog looks. Seeing how I didn’t have to grip the Oh Shiz handle on the way to town, I decided I would let her drive back the way we had just came. I figured that I could maybe even let her drive all the way home. I didn’t make that commitment out loud. I decided to see how things were going and how safe I felt.
All was well, until we made it back onto the road by the market. There is a spot where the road inclines and gently curves to the left. To the right is a building, maybe some trees. I can’t be sure because what happened next put me into a state of panic that made the background blurry.
I was confident that she saw the road curving. I was half correct. She saw the curve, she just didn’t realize that she needed to turn WITH THE ROAD! Again, I panic screamed. THE ROAD IS TURNING! After she jerked the steering wheel to avoid the building, or trees, or whatever was going on in the straight path, I stopped trusting her and made here turn in the nearest parking lot.
Clearly we need to work on depth perception. It is time for a valuable life lesson.
On our way home yesterday, I pulled the car over and made her get out into the ditch at the end of the street that she keeps getting way too close to when she turns. I feel like it is important for her to understand that this isn’t a little bump the road and falling into it will cause my car some pretty serious damage and cost her a lot of money.
First thing she said: Well, that is pretty deep.
Second thing she said: Now I am freaked out.
GOOD! I need you to be freaked out a little bit. Not enough to jerk me into the ditch, but enough to pay attention to the right side of the road and maybe pay attention to the middle of the road.
There is another awesome little corner that is deceptive. I have had a few close calls with it, but it is the last street we turn on before I make her stop for the day. She has had many close calls with this corner and she hasn’t realized how close they were. I finally had a chance to get her out of the car to explore the depths of that corner, before I let her drive home one day. She looked over into the hidden hole and was equally surprised to discover its deceiving depth. She also kept looking around to make sure people weren’t staring at us like we were crazy. They were. We are.
All I can hope for is a little more mindfulness from a teenage brain. I don’t know how many more ditches she will climb in or how many close calls we will have. I do know that I need you to continue to pray for me because I also just found out that her Drivers Education course has been cancelled. Apparently it is difficult to do that class online. Perhaps this course needs to become a homeschool priority.