Let's Go For a Drive

Father's Day brought another milestone for my little boy. Hm. Not so little anymore.

Dad suggested going go-carting. This must be a guy thing, because the thrill of this event just eludes me. But Dh loves it, and Nathan loves it, so off to the go-cart track we went.

I did try this activity. Once. I am not smitten with it the way my guys are. In fact, I thought it had pretty much zero fun factor. So I retire to the picnic benches that line the track, and dutifully cheer my son on from a safe distance.

This time was different though. You see, up until now, Dh and Nathan have shared a go-cart. It was a father-son activity, with Dad driving and Nathan riding shotgun. They would sit side by side, with Nathan holding on to a non-functioning steering wheel. This time, however, we asked the tired looking woman behind the glass at the ticket window how tall Nathan had to be, in order to drive his own go-cart.

She pointed behind us to a post with a line painted on it. Nathan flew to the post and put his back against it, and tried to stretch himself to his full height, and then some, if he could possibly manage it. He didn't need to stretch. He had grown several inches since last year, so he easily passed the minimum height requirement with over an inch to spare.

Nathan was SO excited! He dashed off, with Dad tailing, to find his own go-cart to drive. I had snuck a camera into my purse, just in case, and got it ready. Nathan jumped behind the wheel of the go-cart of his choice, and Dh took the go-cart just behind him in line.

I marveled at Nathan's fearlessness. I don't think I would have even wanted to go alone at that age. I was always a bit of a scaredy cat as a kid. (Sometimes as an adult, too.) But he didn't hesitate. And that's a big deal to me, because I've seen him unable to put one foot in front of the other, just because he was uncertain about what to do. Not this time, though. This time, he jumped right into the deep end.

By the end, he was cutting people off, passing other cars right and left, and yelling, "You're not gonna pass ME!" at some poor adult that dared to creep up on him. It was funny, and encouraging all at the same time. What a wonderful thing a bit of self confidence is.

At times he was so determined and intent, that his face just exuded his singlemindedness. And at other times, he was laughing at the thrill of the speed and the competitiveness.

I could only watch from the stands, and enjoy this rite of passage. And take a picture, of course. I delighted in his freedom, and his newfound maturity, and his pure joy.

I don't think I'll look at go-carting the same way again. Now it will always warm this precious memory in my heart.