After getting through the snow storm on Mt Hood, we got into the Bend area at about lunch time.  The rest of the drive was rather uneventful.

 

My dad asked me if I would follow him to the dealer.  He needed to drop his car off for service and hadn’t been able to arrange anything with either of my brothers.  Sure, I said.  I got into my mom’s little SUV and followed him to the dealer.

 

No big deal, right?

 

The outcome could have been a hell of a lot worse.  I do realize that.  But, being in town for 10 minutes and rear ending my dad’s care whild driving my mom’s car doesn’t exactly start the visit off well.

 

We were at a stop sign, and my dad acted like he was going to turn in front of a truck.  Not knowing where I was going, I knew I had to go out right after him or risk losing him.  The problem – he stopped right after he started….abruptly.  I was looking left trying to gauge if I could make it.  And, didn’t see him stop.  I felt it.  And it made a nice thud.  

 

My dad, I knew, would understand.  My mom – not so much.  You see, my dad taught me to drive, so I drive like he does.  He completely admitted he caused the accident.  He said he was going to go, but changed his mind.  My mom is, shall we say, overly cautious to the point of being a hazard in traffic.  My mom has been giving me shit about my drivig for a long time.  And, I knew the accident I got into 20 years ago would be used as further evidence why I should not be driving. 

 

The good news is the fact there was very minimal damage to my dad’s bumper and nothing on her car.  I hit him hard, so that surprised the hell out of all of us.  The bad news is that our family likes to tease.  If you can’t dish it out and take it, my family would likely drive you nutty and/or offend the hell out of you.  This little accident will be fodder for quite a while.

 

Knowing this, my dad started telling me how he was going to tell my mom.  Not lying, just leaving out details.  When he talked to her last night and told her, she didn’t believe him.  He handed the phone to me, and my mom thought I was lying too.  I finally got her to believe it.  And, her response was definitely the result of her having just spent the day grieving with her family over the loss of their brother:

 

“The car is only a material possession.  I don’t care about it.  As long as you are all okay, I am happy.”

 

Definitely the right perspective, but it was unexpected from my mom.

 

Then I talked to her this morning.  She said she has decided it was really my dad’s fault since he was the one that taught me how to drive. 

 

We’ll see what she thinks tomorrow when she gets back, and I offer to drive.  That will be the true test.