Craziness: Driving Lessons, A History, and DMVs. I Think I Am Ready To Retire

If this is the year of Crazy Crandall, this is also the year to make a statement, "I think I am finished with teaching others to drive." This habit began in Louisville when I first began teaching Sudanese refugees how to drive in my Ford Explorer. I continued this in Syracuse when I taught several kids how to drive while working on my doctorate. In Connecticut, I switched first to a Ford Focus to teach Chitunga how to drive (he passed with flying colors, of course) and then used my Grinch-Green Suburu to offer driving lessons to Mr. Akbaru, who successfully received his driving license yesterday.

I counted the numbers. I've taught 15 people to drive. I have many stories about this, including the absolute pang I get in my stomach awaiting whether or not they will pass. I wasn't quite sure about Akbar, as his morning lesson was a little stressful. When he returned he said, "I don't know how I did. The man didn't say anything and didn't write anything down"

Minutes later the man came out and said, "Akbar!" and he handed him the yellow form that checked off a perfect score on his driving test.

Phew!

I personally thanked him for doing the work he does because I couldn't do it. In fact, I said to every DMV employee we encountered, "Bless you for doing this work. I can't imagine how you do it every day. I come ever few years and I leave with absolute angst and frustration at our system, but this is your truth 40 hours a week! Wow."

But then comes the reality. The drive home was a discussion about insurance, car payments, responsibilities, the risk of getting a ticket, the fear of accidents, the demands others make on you when you have a car, but most importantly, the economics and realities of life in the United States. Currently, a minimum wage job is spectacular and teaching a lot about the importance of work, but I put more emphasis on education and the investment into the mind so there are choices and options in the future. One cannot afford a car unless one has a reliable income (AND insurance).

I am thinking about the aftermath of getting licenses (William, in KY, found the pink Barbie mobile and made the purchase, whereas Chitunga nabbed Jenny, his first car). It's tricky business getting a first car. If they're cheap, they come with mountains of needs. It's hard not to be a lemon in the used car world. Repairs are an additional headache.

It comes down to the money. What can you afford? How can you make this happen?

I thought about all of this at the DMV because we were there for HOURS, and I know that DMV stories are ubiquitous...they haunt us all. As I sat looking at my watch I remarked to Akbar, "Dude, I can't wait much longer, I have back to back graduate classes to teach tonight, and this wait is ridiculous." He responded, "In refugee camps, we sometimes waited in lines 8 hours just to be rationed food."

Okay, I was schooled.

It's the truth. Here, we have a stellar young man trying to find his way into the American dream: a great student, a wonderful mind, a clever thinker, and a hard worker. The obstacles he faces are tremendous, however, as the reality of immigrating to the U.S. is never an easy task (and it is only the 1% who are vetted to actually get invited).

I look at him in absolute admiration. I look at him as a hero....an individual who, to me, worth the investment.

With that noted, I do believe I'm done with driving lessons for a while. My stomach, my heart, and my brain can't take it much longer. It's stressful enough to be my own driver in southern Connecticut...not sure I can invest much more in student drivers.