Monday, September 17, 2007

car karma

I didn't get a car (and didn't really learn to drive) until I was 26. This wasn't a problem when I lived abroad, but there were a few years there where I got a lot of rides. A friend at MFGAM took me along when he went to the grocery store. Other friends dropped me off at the airport. There were expeditions to Target, to San Francisco, to various parks. The summers during college I more or less had to be driven everywhere. (Or stay in one place - there was a lot of that, too.) Good thing you could walk pretty much everywhere in college. (But thanks for the rides, Spice and J.Vo!)

So the upshot of this is that I now owe a ride to everyone in the world. This weekend I had two rehearsals and a barn dance, and I drove other people to all of them. Rawr. I think now I just have to give the other science writer who lives in my neighborhood a couple million rides to Giant and the airport, and the world and I will be even.

7 comments:

Annie said...

I'm in the same predicament - didn't learn to drive until last year, and am now giving rides to as many people as possible... J. Po will be in an even greater predicament. :-)

Coloradan said...

Don't forget about me! I gave rides for years with the same philosophy. One day in college I drove five people and their stuff to the airport for Christmas vacation (all in one carload--that was a big car).

J.Po said...

Oh gawd. Don't remind my of my predicament. I think I owe everone CARs, not just a bunch of rides.

It seems my learning is imminent. Jigs and I made a pact last night that if I learn to drive, he'll take steps toward doing something that freaks him out.

And just some tid-bits: I've now had temp licenses in 3 states (OH, MN, CA) and J.Vo drove me to get the 2nd. She and her wacky memory for tire treads helped me pass the exam! I've only driven once - in my high school parking lot for about 5 minutes, until I realized there was no way I was learning from my dad.

towwas said...

Ooh, do you owe me a car? I'll take something pretty, please. Oh wait, no - I want a Prius. But in a pretty color.

You can do it, J.Po! No really...if I can, you can!

J-Vo said...

What can I say, I have a long history of being a driving-phobe's enabler. However, I was happy to do it. J-Po, I think you've sentenced youtself to a lifetime of being the designated carpool mom!!

Anonymous said...

Color me lost as to how one survives without a car. Not judging, just in some curious form of awe.

Unknown said...

This blows my grew-up-on-a-farm mind. I remember driving tractors and my dad's pick-up at something like ridiculous like nine or ten. Not on the road and not by myself, clearly, but going down an irrigation road and barely able to reach the clutch.