Michael D. Davis.

When my sister was learning to drive, my dad would have her drive out of town. She was behind the wheel every time we went somewhere because she was learning how to drive. When I started learning how to drive, my sister was still the one behind the wheel. I’ve thought of this a lot recently, and I think the reason my sister continued to drive is because my sister, even to this day, is still learning how to drive.

I may not know the street names in Tama-Toledo, but I can drive anywhere in these towns blindfolded. No, I don’t know where Elm Street is, but if you drop me at the Toledo Airport and ask me how to get to Woodlawn, I’d say go west past the Backen place, once you hit the old football field, you wanna go another block and swing a left. Ya stick on that road until ya see the new middle school on your right, when that happens, the cemetery will just about be on your left. It’s that kind of confidence I wanted with driving out of town.

So, my mindset, I went to my Ma, and said, “I want to build my confidence with driving out of town.” Ma had an out-of-town doctor’s appointment, so I said, “I’ll drive us to Cedar Rapids.” She said, “No.” But with some finagling, I was able to be allowed to drive home from Cedar Rapids. All in all, up 5 driving confidence points.

The thing about Ma is that she is a nervous passenger. She screams, clutches the door, grips her eyes shut, makes horrific faces, swears, and that’s all on a trip with no incidents. However, my Ma said that I could take the old one anywhere, she said she didn’t care, and frankly would prefer him being out of the house.

So, Sunday came around, Ma was at work, my sister was… well, I’m not sure where she was, and me and the old one were sitting at home doing nothing. I thought, what the heck, and I asked the old man if he wanted to go to Ames. He didn’t really want to go. I said, “I got money, and all ya have to do is sit there, so what are ya complaining about?” Once I got the old man loaded up and google maps on my phone, we were off.

First thing you need to know when driving the old one is that you seldom need the radio. He told me about a friend’s friend who was recently hurt. An injured man he attempted to arm wrestle. (Those were two separate people, by the way.) How my sister mixed up words when she was a toddler. A few stories from his childhood, and I think there was something about him drinking homemade wine once.

That is all interspersed between his informing me where things once were.

“This road used to be over there.”

“That was once a two-lane.”

“Train tracks are over there in that field, ya know.”

“Do you remember Elmer? Well, if you take a left and go over a hill, you can see where he’s buried.”

For a destination in Ames, I chose the comic book store. The place that the old one kept referring to as “the cartoon shop.” I had punched in the location of the comic book store into the map, but somehow it told us our final destination was the middle of the highway. We took a turn, then another turn, then ended up next to a gravel road that had a lone porta-potty at the end of it. I worked on the map, and we ended up at the “cartoon shop.” All in all, a good trip, up 10 driving confidence points.

Then one thing led to another, and we were all heading to Urbandale today, so my sister could get a new car. It was the old one and I’s job to take the car we already have back home. After punching things into the map and a little visit to, I think, Clive, I ended up on the freeway for ten miles. The old man started to talk here, and I just asked for silence for the next ten miles. There were cars on every side, and I’m pretty sure some sort of vehicle went over the top at some point.

Once we were off the freeway, things evened out, and the old one got back to talking. We covered leasing to own, where he was when JFK was shot, how he wasn’t drafted, and if I remember a funeral from 25 years ago.

When we got into town, a dog ran in front of the car, I stopped, and it stood there for a second looking at us before wandering off. The old one then said something along the lines of, “Good thing you were driving and not your sister. She would’ve already wrecked her new car.” We both laughed way too hard. And if you think that is mean, don’t, my sister’s bumper has seen the hair of many species throughout the years. All in all, good trip, up 15 driving confidence points.

So, I’m up 30 driving confidence points over all. I didn’t hit a dog. I had a great time with my father, hearing some weird stories and learning where things used to be. I got some things at the “cartoon shop.” And if I’m being honest, I think my sister is still learning how to drive.