Wish List Number 19 - A Driver

One of the items on my wish list is to have a driver. That doesn't necessarily mean a limo as well (although that would be nice). I am just tired of wasting so many hours behind the wheel.

I calculated how much time I have spent behind the wheel. During my 30+ years of commuting, I have spent approximately TWO YEARS of my life driving back and forth to the office. TWO YEARS!

And that doesn't include driving around town on errands, going to lunch, going to dinner, grocery shopping, the vet, doctor appointments, road trips, to and from the airport, visiting family and friends, going to the movies, concerts and performances, etc.. Let's just say, I've spent three years of my life behind the wheel.

Had I a driver, think of all the phone calls I could have made; books I could have read; letters, notes and stories I could have written; meals I would not have missed; sleep I could have had; work I could have prepared; thoughts I could have jotted down; the views I could have seen; and, the loss of temper I could have saved.

An efficient public transportation system may have, perhaps, saved those years for me; but, alas the cities I have lived did not provide that option. In my current location there is minimal public alternatives. I have been very fortunate to be able to telecommute for the most part during the last several years. However, few days will pass that the vehicle doesn't have to leave the garage.

I have reached that point in life that I actually consider travel time before deciding to do something I want to do. I remember being somewhat annoyed by people who wouldn't attend downtown events nor travel more that ten miles to a function because it was "too far" or it took "too long" to get there. I remember being amazed by people who lived on the south side of town who had never ventured to the north side. I remember not understanding why someone would rather be driven than drive themselves. Have I become one of 'those" people?

A driver would make so much difference in my life. I would go out to events all the time; multiple events in one evening. I could be let off at the front door of my destination without having to find a parking space. I could fit more into the day, because I could now "safely" apply make-up in the car. I could text, email and talk on the phone to my heart's content. I could write up my notes, have a cup of coffee, read the paper and take my shoes off. Oh, how wonderful that would be.

As I get older I tend to reassess how I spend time. I do not believe I have another two or three years that I wish to spend behind the wheel; NOT when I have places to go and people to see and things to do. I wish I had a driver. Methinks the driver just moved up a few places on my wish list.

See you in traffic.