Back in the 1950s my father drove a taxicab in Saint Louis, he never told me very many of, the I imagine numerous, tales of those days, the various fares, some perhaps famous, others perhaps rude or drunken, but tales aplenty I imagine he had, although I never heard any that I can recall, per se, however the one thing I took from his memories of his time as a cab driver in the city was his fantastic knowledge of how to get from one place to another in the city. Today I do not drive a taxicab, although at times in my life he had dreamed of such a, I won't say "career", job for a bit, but either never took the opportunity nor actively sought it out. However, in this new 21st Century Life, the taxicab isn't exactly dead, go to any large city and the taxicab is still very much alive and well, but as time marches on, Uber and other Internet based taxi-type services will take over, much as Hulu, Netflix, along with traditional networks like ABC, CBS, and NBC going digital, will eliminate traditional television. So, No, I am not a taxicab driver, I am father whose children have no desire to learn to drive and I don't mind taxiing them around town, the county, the state or beyond if need be.
Our two youngest children still at home are 16 and 17, soon to be 18, and neither have a driver's license. The eldest, our son, had a driving permit as soon as he turned 15, along with the state laws here, but he only attempted driving a couple times, with both me and my wife, however he never took to it. Our youngest daughter never even got a permit, although she did finally get a non-driver's permit this summer in order to have a photo identification required for her to take her college ACT test. She has told us she doesn't want to drive. When we attempt to explain that in the future we parents won't be here to drive her around or wherever her college years and career choices take her, she will need to drive. Her response, "Nope, I'll just live somewhere that has public transportation", very wise, if a bit shortsighted; however her older sister was the same. When she left home for school and her own independent life at the age of 18, she still did not have a driver's license, although she did get her permit and even renewed it a few times. Today, she does, finally, have a driver's license but she is over 21 and a mother now.
Instead, I drive the kids around to band practice, scholar quiz practices, scout meetings, choir practice, choir concerts, band concerts, football games, the store, restaurants, camps, everywhere and anywhere. And I don't mind one damned bit. As my children have grown older of course they have grown more independent, independent of me and that bothers me. As a father I have tried to be very involved in my children's lives, even to the extent that I accompanied school trips at the end of the school years as a chaperone when they were in elementary school, becoming a Scout leader to not only them but many others; we've had conversations about who their friends are, honest talks about life, love, money, drugs, sex, history, math, science, and any other topic you can think of, all the conversations I had wished my parents had had with me as a youth. Instead, my parents, having been raised in the Great Depression and raised during World War Two and the aftermath, they worried about money, having enough to support their large family, as it was a combined family, a regular "His", "Hers" and "Ours" type situation. But there wasn't much time for real conversations, they didn't know how until they were much older, and so was I, having learned many lessons they could have taught me earlier had they possessed the tools to communicate those things to me. No grudge, though, honestly, I wouldn't be half the man I am today without them and the things they did teach, tell, and show me.
Taxi service today, or as I call it "Duber" service, is a blessing, because it is time that I get to spend with my children, together or alone sometimes. At times it is just me and the Boy, others me and my Daughter, and even other times we mix in the Wifey and it's three of us or all four of us or various combinations, but it is time now, as they are teenagers and spending less time "underfoot" as toddlers and little children and more time either solo or together; on the net, texting, gaming, listening to music parents wouldn't understand, speaking in a language that I don't get, despite using Urban Dictionary as often as possible to stay up to date, but they are not spending much time with Dad anymore. And the future is even more grim as they join their older sibling in leaving the Home Tribe and making their own lives, so instead of complaining about having to drive my children around to their meetings or jobs or extracurricular activities or forcing them to grow up too quickly, to push them to get a driver's license so they can run errands for me and they can go out and possibly get involved in an accident, maybe not even their fault…the roads are filled with idiots on their damned smartie phones texting, talking…their lives so danged important that they cannot drive to the grocery store without talking to someone. So, no, in long and short, I don't mind being a taxi cab driver to my family.
Recently, as I was taking my Boy to his Percussion session of Band Camp for his Senior Year of Marching Band, he and I had several conversations in a short 1-mile drive; discussing next year's Boy Scout summer camp location, his prospects of employment for next summer, after graduation, the set-up of this year's drum line, and a nice disagreement about politics, which just fills my heart with pride. At his age, I was very political, something I continue to hold as important, and who we chose as our leaders, locally, state wide, nationwide and worldwide makes a big difference in how our future will be written. These people matter and I am glad my Son is interested in this too. I could do an entire blog post on him and his political policies and thoughts, but this is about being a Duber driver, a family taxi cab driver, a job I would not trade for anything. I am banking these days, these times, these fleeting minutes even with my children, engaged in conversation, fun, and making memories that hopefully will last them and give them stories to tell their children, much as I recount stories of my own parents, and grandparents to them. Our History is How We Write it. For Good, For Bad, it matters Not, we are Family, not just me, the Wifey, the Tribe of Children we have, no, WE the Entire World are Family and too many are worried about Money, Power, Greed, Deceit, Lies, and Distrust….Sometimes we need to realize the only thing important is the legacy we leave behind, and hopefully my children will remember a Father that would do anything, give up everything, and do all in his power to make certain they achieve their Dreams. Our Future Is Now, Drive On.
