Writing Prompt: First Driving Lesson! Yikes!

This weekend I took my oldest son for his first driving lesson! He is sixteen and just got his Learner's Permit. Watching him reach this milestone has been both exciting and scary at the same time, as I'm sure many of you can appreciate. I'm very proud of the young man he has become, and while part of me would like him to stay my little boy, the other is honored to accompany him on this very important step towards independence. Luckily, the RMV now publishes a pamphlet with tips for parents who are supervising teen driving. Unsure as I am at how to teach someone to drive, I am grateful for this informative booklet. Leafing through it, I learned some new recommendations such as safer ways to set rear view mirrors and how to best hold a steering wheel to avoid injury from an airbag (hands at 3:00 and 9:00 o'clock). Cars, technology and rules have changed in the twenty somewhat years since I first hit the road and—like with many aspects of parenting—I find myself learning something new as I re-live this landmark experience with my son.

Our first lesson, as recommended by my RMV teaching "bible," was actually a non-driving lesson. It  went well enough. I helped him familiarize himself with all aspects of the vehicle from the breaks to the tire pressure and everything in between. Are you wondering what all this have to do with genealogy? I'm getting there.

My New Bible

Our next lesson, took place in a deserted parking lot where my son got behind the wheel for the first time. I hope he will forgive me for disclosing the fact that he was petrified of driving. This somewhat irrational fear, originated at the age of ten when he crashed a golf cart into a tree, broke the windshield and remained quite traumatized. Last week, I practically had to drag him to the RMV to take the permit test. Part me thought: he's scared of driving, great! Driving is dangerous especially for teenagers. No rush. He can learn as an adult. But, as a mom, I believe my main job is to help him become independent. Driving is a huge part of independence and it's therefore also my responsibility to help him conquer this fear. Besides, I need him to drive! Having to pick him up from a late practice, while making dinner and picking up my two other boys, is just about killing me. This  actual first lesson was simple and aimed to instill confidence. We practiced starting and stopping, breaking and accelerating smoothly (at up to 15 miles an hour), and turning. I'm happy to report, he did beautifully. We didn't crash into any trees! By the end, he was beaming with self-confidence and belief that he will master this important skill.

As I complimented his figure-eights, he asked me a question which made me pause. "Was your first driving lesson like this mom? Did you do this well?" I thought about it. I racked my brain. But for the life of me, I couldn't remember my first driving lesson. "Really mom? How can you forget your first driving lesson?" he was shocked. "I know. I didn't crash, so it must have gone well," was my unsatisfying answer. I stopped myself from sharing with him my next thought: he probably won't remember this moment thirty years from now either.

This is where genealogy comes in.

William and Ethel Bloomfield (the "whinny,"
distracting tot) with the Model-T Ford.
Read more about Minnie's car accident
in Stored Treasures, A Memoir.

Significant events in our lives, such as bar mitzvah's, weddings and yes, getting our driver's license, are all part of our story. Many have long lasting affect on who we are. In the same way we enjoy re-living them with our children, they enjoy hearing and learning from past. But how many of us take the time to record these moments? It occurred to me, that my son's question, is a great writing prompt for my memoir project. Before he asked, I hadn't thought to include learning to drive in my own memoir or in the ones I'm challenging my friends and family to write, but I should. If my sixteen-year-old is interested, then other teens are interested as well. We can all relate to this almost universal. It also exemplifies cross-generational shared experiences and how they changed over the years. Most of our parents taught us to drive without a guide book. My mother, learned to drive at thirteen. How scary is that? (In 1961, it was legal to drive that young in Texas). My great-grandmother learned to drive as an adult, the early 1920s, when Ford made the price of cars accesible and my great-grandparents bought their first model-T (for about $200 dollars). She crashed, early on, shattering the windshield, while driving only fifteen miles an hour. She was distracted by her "whinny" five-year-old daughter. Things have changed. Minnie struggled with a distracting tot. My son has to learn to drive with the added distractions of cell phone and texting (which the pamphlet wisely recommends to power-off during driving lessons).

I thank my son for reminding me that it's both the milestones and the little things which make for great writing prompts. I also thank him for participating in genealogy without noticing and despite his stated "non-intrest." I hope that in thirty years from now, he will appreciate I documented his first driving lesson, and can share this post with his children. I promise to ask my parents about teaching me to drive. Maybe they can help jolt my memory so I can add a driving chapter to my own memoir.

Do share your first driving stories with us! Does it belong in a memoir?