From "Flying Lessons" to Driving Lessons: A Saturday Behind The Wheel of Possibilities

Mr. Akaru at the Wheel

The phone call came on Thursday.

"Bryan, I have my driving test next week."

"That's great, Akbaru," I say. "I hope you do very well and pass with flying colors."

"Can you teach me to drive?" he asks.

Um.

"I need to learn by next week."

Schedules are exchanged. We find a small window of opportunity where he isn't working his part time job or in high school and when I'm not committed to a million other projects.

I've done this before. Driving lessons. He has been in Ubuntu Academy for two years and this summer he also participated in Project Citizen: Flying Lessons from the Prose. He did well with his 'flying lessons' with writing with the professionals, so I imagined he'd be a good study in the car.

I took him to a high school parking lot where we spent an hour. At first he was nervous, but he did well driving in the big rectangle, getting control of gas and pedal. I even made him go backwards, which made him anxious, but he also did well with that. He mastered a three-point turn rather quick and, in two tries, he parallel parked like a pro. "Let's go to the streets," I say. We drive all over Stratford and I have to admit, like Chitunga, I was not nervous with his instincts or reactions. "I'm going to take you to the Merritt," I say. "I want you to get used to traffic and acceleration."

That was tricky. Rather than merge, he pulled out into the lane and brakes, starling those behind us. A few honks, but he hit the gas again. Then he was fine. "This is scary," he says. "I know," I say.

I fill him with all the teaching of my mother and father who had patience with me. I tell him about teaching Sudanese men how to drive in Louisville, and the twins in Syracuse. I tell him how Chitunga succeeded with just two driving lessons - it was instinctual. Akbar also seemed to naturally figure it out. "Ah, but every time in you're in a car, it's a new adventure."

We talk about driving defensively...of being aware of everything around him. We talk about the expense of driving and how every vehicle has the potential to kill. They are monsters and a driver needs to show he or she can tame the beast. We see many on cellphones and I say, "They are idiots. It's only a matter of time before they will regret."

And I never broke a sweat. After a few hours I dropped him off at his job and I returned home to write, create, read, and plan.

Oi vay. Bless all who run Driver's Education programs for a living. Akbar did fine, but I imagine most aren't like him.