Son has keys; drive at own risk

Every evening I turn my worries over to God. He's going to be up all night anyway.

-- Mary C. Crowley

Consider yourself warned.

Somebody at my house turned 15 yesterday, and we all know what that means. The roads of the CSRA are a little bit riskier.

The anxiety levels of two middle-aged parents have risen considerably. A local insurance company is punching more numbers into an adding machine.

Two sets of grandparents are busy requesting the intercession of a host of guardian angels.

I guess I always knew this day would come, but I have no idea how this latest family adventure will play out.

I keep telling his mother -- who has lately converted to a hand-wringing fret-machine -- that in all my decades of reporting, editing and reading about traffic mayhem, I cannot remember a story "Local 15-year-old with learner's permit involved in 3-car crash."

She gasps when I say this because I have broken the First Rule of Bad Luck, which is to say what might happen out loud and cause it to happen.

This is, of course, the opposite of The First Rule of Good Luck, which is to say what might happen out loud, and prevent it from ever happening. Ever.

I have no idea what sort of driver our 15-year-old will be.

He's a good student, but that certainly didn't prevent his numerous honor-student cousins from spending their high school years keeping body shops busy.

He used to have very quick reflexes and a sense of sharp-eyed anticipation as a Junior Lynx hockey goalie, but that was a few years ago.

My only experience of his possible driving style comes from his handling of a golf cart, which I have seen him do often, and which might be why I'm writing this warning for the rest of you.

As I have expressed to him many times, I am of the opinion he drives too fast, particularly on the curves. And he seems to like to stop suddenly and only a few feet from the cart we might be following (my apologies).

Other than that, I guess he does OK.

My friends who have journeyed down this beginning-driver road say you can't keep thinking about it.

However, I like to point out that when you worry at least you get a sense that you're doing something. And today is apparently the tomorrow I worried about yesterday.

Your prayers are, as always, appreciated and encouraged. You'll be out on that road, too.

Reach Bill Kirby at (706) 823-3344 or bill.kirby@augustachronicle.com.