Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Daddy let me Drive!





I will always remember my Dad's 1978 Ford F150 Lariat. That was the really first cool truck he ever had, before that they were all work trucks. This was different it was blue, and the first one that didn't have work bins and a ladder rack on it.

Just like the Alan Jackson song, when I was about 8th grade he started to teach me to drive on the rural farm roads of Northern Illinois, And then on occasion he would let me drive on my cousins farm up North.

That was step 4 in what I call the transportation process, the 1st being crawling, 2nd walking, 3rd riding a bike, and the 4th the coolest - the privilege to drive.

I have let my oldest Chey do the same thing. On private property in the woods of Wisconsin, her daddy let her drive. It all started in a plastic barbie car. Then it was the bike. We then moved on to an Arctic Cat Kitty Cat snowmobile, then to a bigger Ski-Doo 120....Then it was mini bikes. The kids got it. She's good at everything she does. She drives anything with a motor. She's a cool chick!

Well I guess in the Great state of Illinois you can get your permit when your 15! She did that yesterday and got her permit today. Passed the test and now has a year to drive her mom and me around! As you might imagine she's all jacked up. Just like I was back in 1981 when I got my license. I got my first ticket that same day on Mack road with my BFF Fritz. I will never forget it. I lost my car for a week on that one.

It's been a whirlwind week, you see my baby lives with her mom, and as a dad who lives away I miss stuff, we're close... but I miss stuff, this year she's a sophomore, I have to think about college for her, soon she will need a car, insurance, all stuff I hope I can provide. Stuff she doesn't think about.

Last week I found out she had a boyfriend. The first in many steps she will take to become a woman, .. and the first of many fears a daddy has when he realizes that his little girl's not so little anymore. I don't know what's worse the fact she likes this kid, or the fact he's a Cubs fan.

If that weren't enough now shes driving! Another step to carry her away, soon I won't even be needed for the ride to the mall. The only thing I have to keep her close now is the fact I have a cooler car than her mom!

My boy will always love me. He has a heart that knows no boundaries. It's crazy but he's the one who hugs and will tell me he loves me quicker than any of my girls. But they don't need to tell me cuz a dad knows. It's just cool to hear sometimes. I tell my little Cassie not to grow up because you forget how little they were, how much they needed you when they were tiny. But before you know it, her Daddy will let her drive. She just started riding her mini bike this week.

In retrospect, it's all good cuz most every weekend I can, I get into a pickup truck, not so much unlike that blue 1978 F150. And I "Drive." I drive back to the guy who let me drive all those years ago.

I can only hope that Chey will do the same for me one day.

Buckle up and be safe

RR

2 comments:

  1. Go Cubs Go....Go Cubs Go hey Chicago what do you say..... Chy found a Cubs fan to Torture RAY!! HA HA HA....

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  2. what a cool dad!

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