DRIVING LESSON
The Isolation Blues;
reflections during covid-19
My grandfather, George Hutchinson Sr., was born in 1870 and was almost 60 years old before he ever attempted to drive an automobile. He grew up in an American era when horse and steam power defined transportation and industry. My father, George Hutchinson Jr., was determined to modernize my grandad in the ways of the early 20th century – He would give him driving lessons. Several lessons later (without much progress being made) my Dad had Grandad driving south on US Route 1 just outside Bridgewater and instructed him to take a left hand turn onto the Nichols Road which led to their family farm. Grandad made the left hand turn just fine, but he forgot to straighten out the wheel (of course there was no power steering in those days) and the car just kept going left and kept going left until it ended up nose down in a potato field!
My grandfather was not a cursing man, but in its place most men did have what was called a favorite by-word; this was a colorful phrase that you would insert just before whatever you were going to say. My Grandad’s by-word was, “By the sweet and lovely…” In this particular situation, as the story goes, my grandad jumps out of the ditched automobile and says, “By the sweet and lovely, I’m not going to drive that iron-beast again!” My grandad’s driving lessons came to an abrupt and somewhat humorous end.
Neither one of my grandparents ever learned to drive a new fangled automobile. Anytime they needed a ride somewhere my Dad or one of my uncles would offer to drive them. No one wanted Grandad driving an automobile on the highway ever again.
Have a good week everyone.
In the woods,
Dave
November 19, 2020