Flashback Friday: Driving with James

James is my oldest brother, a role that entitled him to having the first driver's license out of seven kids. Since we lived way out in the country, I'm sure my mom was glad to have another person available to haul us kids where we needed to go; there were moments, though, when I'm sure she would have wished otherwise.
My first memory of driving with my brother was on they way to school. See, I was the only kid (besides James and Paula, who were already in highschool) still 'going' to school-the rest got to stay home. We went to a Christian school where K-12 were all in the same vicinity, so I ride with my brother. The first day we drove his green (like a light sage, celery, or ok booger green) VW rabbit. He convinced me that his brakes didn't work and the tires were coming off the car, only being in fourth grade, I didn't know he was just swerving the steering wheel! As soon as we arrived at school I ran to tell my friends about our "adventure" and they all promised to give me a ride home. After I was assured his car was not falling apart, it became very cool to have a brother that could drive me to school.
The next ride that visits my mind was driving home from school another day. James kept reaching back to share his massive 7-11 soda with the boys (younger twin brothers-John & Mike) and was totally not paying attention to the rode-which was the 65 MPH, I-8 freeway. Being the ever alert co-pilot, I casually informed my brother that we were about to smash into the slow moving station wagon in front of us. Whether it was quick thinking or pure luck, he swerved around the wagon into the emergency lane and back onto the freeway. After my life was done flashing berfore my eyes and I realized we were OK, James convinced me that emergency lanes "were made for that".
Let's see, there are so many to list here. We went to Knott's Berry Farm another time and drove home really late. It was freezing in his car-he kept it that way to keep himself awake-and I was searching for anything I could use as a blanket. Of course, all I could find was his stinky Alpine Lumber work shirt, but when you're desperate and tired you don't really care. Ok, getting back to the driving...he would occasionally swerve and I'd say "dude, what are you doing?" "Oh, you know, just testing you"-riiight. He was totally falling asleep, which I decided to do myself. They say if you are sleeping the impact in a car accident isn't as bad-so I figured I'd be ok. We did manage to make it home in one piece, he has his own stories of falling asleep at the wheel that included car damage-and I'm glad I'm not in them :-)!
The fog could get pretty thick up in the mountains and lucky me, I was driving with James again. We made it off the freeway and to our road-which had a cliff on one side and a mountain on the other- and he mentioned he couldn't see very well (windshield wipers didn't work-"it's San Diego-who needs them?"). Like any rational person would do, he decided to stick his head out the window to see "better". Yep, you guessed it, drove himself right into the sage brush on the mountain side-not the car-just himself. Again, we made it home, him with a few extra scratches-not the car, his arm.
There are countless other tales of my experience as a passenger with my brother, but for the moment my memory has repressed them to a place that keeps me from realizing how fortunate I am to be alive. Ok, so maybe it wasn't that dramatic, I was young and it was fun!

The moral of this flashback: When your oldest kid gets their license, pray-A LOT!
**P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMES!!!!!