First Day of School

I really don't know if I can remember my first day driving to school. I drove my '68 Nova in 1984, it was a gift from my grandfather. It was 16 and I often joked that it was old enough to have its own driver's license. Well today Kiddo drove her Volkswagen Thing for it's first day at her school, a gift from her grandfather. It's a '73 and now in 2008 it's 35 years old, more than double her age. I had a call early from her Mom. "Just so you know, that damn car started today..." she told me. Don't read that wrong, I could hear a smile in her voice. She really wanted it not to start. "She doesn't need a ride from me anymore," I heard her mother say sort of sadly. Welcome to my life a few days ago (I thought) when she started driving around town & to church Saturday. Our baby's growing up and we had both suffered seperation anxiety all over again. "I'm following her as I go in to work," my ex told me. "But tell me", I asked, "doesn't she look cute in her own little car?" (Never mind that the THING is actually taller, wider and longer than her Mom's Saturn...) She agreed our little girl does and that the car really was a good 'fit' for her. (I take the credit/blame for that.) If you're going to a school where different is the rule, the cars the kids drive don't measure up in the odd department. There might be an art car or something of the like, but I will put cash on it that Kiddo's 181 is now the King of the excentric cars in the student lot. And that makes me happy. I'm very proud of how well kiddo's doing in school. Soon it'll all just be a memory. They grow up so fast. It seems like just yesterday that I was picking her up from elementary school in my Thing.

Really, I'm just too sentimental in my old age. I know it'll all be okay. It's her time now. I'm just so happy it's all come together to have made this possible. Kiddo has her own Volkswagen. She called to ask if she could put a church sticker on it... Of course you can kiddo, it's your car. We might put it on together to make sure it's done right, but what you have on it's your call. Thinking about it now though, even if she doesn't wait, it's still her call.
-Rob "VW" D.