Learning to drive was not an easy accomplishment for me, but at the age of 16 nothing comes easy, it seems. It was 1972 and my dad had just bought another set of wheels. The car wasn't for me, by any means. In those days a teen who'd be provided with their own car were few and far between. We were lucky if we were allowed to drive at all and it was a big deal to own more than one vehicle per family, so the second hand chevy sedan was a sign of the changing times and the fact that dad's business was doing well. Besides, it was time for me to learn to drive and my mom wouldn't dream of allowing me to be anywhere near her Cadillac. In light of that fact, the 1966 Chevy would be my dad's ride to work and the tool he'd use to teach me the fine art of driving.
As I reflect on that time of my life, I'm reminded of something Erma Bombeck once said. "Never loan your car to anyone for whom you've given birth." Today I know what she means, but apparently, my parents had never heard of Erma Bombeck in the 70s, much less what she said. Otherwise, they might have taken her advice. You see, teens are strange human beings and I've never met a soul who doesn't agree with me, so teaching a teen to drive will be the most insane thing any parent will ever try to do. It's true. That's why I believe a teen should work to earn the right to drive, but only when they can buy their own set of wheels, which should cost no more than enough to be worth a piece of junk. The reason I feel this way is because of my experience and due to the fact that there is no such thing as a teen who is mature enough to know the value of a automobile.
In fact when I got my college degree, I took several courses in psychology, and according to the definition of insanity, all teenagers are as crazy as they can be. The truth is that they're only insane, normally, but I've decided to describe the teenager as one who is temporarily trapped within a normally insane frame of mind. Still, in spite of that fact, our society believes that by the time a human being becomes a teen of 16, that's when we teach them to drive. If you don't know why this is an issue, just ask my parents and I'm sure they'll tell you.
Do you remember those days when you were insane? I do, and even at my age. After all, how could I forget? My mom still reminds me every chance she gets. At the time, I didn't feel insane, but then again, how many crazy people do? I just went along with time as if what I said or did made any sense. That's why
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