Driving Permits & Regret
A few months back I heard five words that were simultaneously both pride and fear inducing. My 15-year-old man/child said,
“Hey dad, can I drive?”
We had just walked out of the DMV and the ink on his permit was barely dry, but I said, “Absolutely.”
In many ways, I had been preparing for this day since the day I was running beside his new bike with no training wheels as he squealed with delight. Then there was the mini dirt bike his grandfather bought him for Christmas one year. Go-karts, golf carts, mini dune buggies and four-wheelers were next as he progressed into a fairly conscientious driver.
Like I said pride wasn’t the only feeling I felt, I also felt fear. For me, it wasn’t so much him now driving our 4,500-pound minivan missile down a road alongside a bunch of other 4,000-pound missiles. I felt fear that he was 3 years from heading out on his own. That fear led to some regret. Regret that I hadn’t spent more time just playing when he was 6-10 years old. Now I am not the dad in the song 'Cat’s In The Cradle' who never found the time, but when I look back, I always had a purpose to my time with him.
I would use every opportunity to teach him something I thought he should know. I taught him Bible verses, how to kick the ball with his left foot, how to throw properly. But rarely did I just play to log many hours in his relationship bank.
Now as he starts the car and begins to back up, I am thankful I still get to be part of these milestone moments in his life. I am thankful he is a great driver, but I wish I could go back and just play. The time for most of that is past, he is now more interested in playing with his friends than with me, besides I can’t do a triple side flip on the trampoline anyways, but I can voice my regret.
Maybe some of you have 6-10-year-old kids that just need to play. Put down the work you think is so important or just pause the big lesson and enjoy the play. I promise you won’t regret it.
Greg Daley
Restoration Project Co-Founder
