excerpt from:
The Saturday Evening Post
The Drive to Succeed
Pat Gallant
The Saturday Evening Post
It was my grandfather’s first trip since his heart attack. The drive to Pennsylvania was beginning to make him weary, so my grandmother suggested we stop, gas up. and refresh ourselves. I could see the strain of fatigue in my grandfather’s eyes. It was then that I offered to drive. Initially, my grandfather wouldn’t hear of it. But as my grandmother provided the voice of reason. my grandfather acquiesced, putting aside his trepidations about my being a new, inexperienced, and young driver.
Standing by the car, he began to provide me with a crash course (perhaps a poor word choice) on auto safety.
“Don’t forget your seat belt,” he stressed. “Stay in the right-hand lane, so you can go slowly. Don’t forget to watch the speedometer. Be sure to keep looking in the rearview mirror. Don’t forget to open the window and look out directly, and check the side view mirror before pulling out onto the turnpike.” My head was reeling. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, but Grandma didn’t drive.
I climbed back into the car. Grandma decided it was best to sit up front by me. I ran through my mental checklist. I turned on the ignition and put on my seat belt, listening to my grandmother reiterating my grandfather’s instructions.
I replayed Grandpa’s voice in my mind. Don’t forget to let the car warm up. Done. Don’t forget to wear your seat belt. Done. Don’t forget to open the window so you can look before you pull out. Done. High on self-satisfaction, I put the car in drive, placed my foot on the gas pedal, and began to pull out of the rest area. I drove down the service road and, as instructed, put my head out the window before pulling out onto the turnpike.
Again, I replayed Grandpa’s voice in my mind. Don’t forget to roll the window back up. I did it. Check the speedometer. It stood at a nice 55. Don’t forget to check the rearview mirror. The rearview mirror … I looked, not believing my eyes. I had remembered everything- except Grandpa, who stood with three gas station attendants. waving frantically back off in the distance, by the side of the road.
Oops.
Pat Gallant