Happy Father's Day!

"I'd sit on his lap in that big old Buick and steer as we drove through town." - "My Hometown" by Bruce Springsteen

Wow, two posts in one day. I'm really on a roll! This post is to wish all of the dads out there a happy Father's Day!

I just love "My Hometown". I even referred to it in one of my Willow novels because it has such strong emotions and tells a great story. How many of you out there remember sitting on your dad's lap and "driving" his car, which consisted of him pushing the pedals and guiding the steering wheel, only you didn't realize that because you were having too much fun being the one behind the wheel for a change? I can still remember being about five years old, sitting on my dad's lap, and "driving" his '71 Maverick through our neighborhood in Southern California. I had no idea that his hands were actually holding the bottom of the steering wheel so we wouldn't take out any of the neighbors' mailboxes or children, I just thought I was driving, and it was an amazing feeling!

Fast forward about 10 years and he's teaching me how to drive. I had been waiting for that moment my entire life! I was always the kid who couldn't wait to be older, couldn't wait to grow up and drive, hopefully as fast as I could! The first lesson my dad taught me about driving was not to let the car overheat (a running joke in our family about air having to flow through the radiator), and the second was that if you don't get caught speeding, then it's not illegal. Words of wisdom from a lifelong drag racer! :) Anyway, there were some tense moments, like when he threatened to tie my left leg to the car door if I kept using it to brake, but I did learn how to drive, and I can happily say that my car has never overheated and I have never gotten a speeding ticket in the 13 years since that first driving lesson, which is a minor miracle. Thanks, Dad, and happy Father's Day!