What’s a satisfying drive for you? Is it one that involves hot laps around the circuit? Or is it a spirited drive down the mountain? We all have our ideas for a great drive, but there is one I recently experienced that I feel is the most fulfilling.
We recently welcomed the latest member of our family, a beautiful baby girl. She’s angelic and adorable, a gift from up above. Bringing a new life into this world is a roller coaster experience, one that brings joy that one can only relate to if they have been through it.
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While I am well aware that infants are incredibly delicate, it hits you differently if it’s your own flesh and blood. Yes, I’ve carried around and held some of my nieces and nephews when they were babies, but it just feels different this time around. A cousin of mine put it simply and beautifully. “You get this overwhelming realization that the life you are holding is literally in your hands,” she said.
In this case, by the time were discharged from hospital, your entire new family’s lives are, quite literally, in your hands. Your wife and child will be the most precious cargo you will ever place in your car. No pressure, then.
Leaving the hospital
With wife, mother-in-law, and child strapped in, it was now time for my first trip as a family and as a parent. Coming out of the hospital was, well, like any other drive. After all, there’s really not much to worry about at 10kph. But the moment I saw the open road, I was then punched in the face with the realization that our roads are dangerous.
The word ‘yield’ doesn’t seem to be part of most drivers’ vocabulary or conciousness, for that matter. You’d think that people would be more considerate of those coming out of the hospital, but that just wasn’t the case. If anything, more folks sped up, as if not letting one car with an infant pass will change the course of their day. It was already a tense situation just a few meters from the driveway.
On the road
Thankfully, the road cleared up and I was able to merge. But almost instinctively, I made the lightest of touches on the accelerator. Our child was asleep, and I had no idea how she’d react in a moving vehicle for a long time. Better to be safe than sorry.
It didn’t help that we were all tired and sleep-deprived, but it’s the hyperawareness that was keeping me awake. The only thing running through my head was to get the family home as safety and uneventfully as possible. That said, erring motorcyclists meant I was on guard the whole time, while drivers who have yet to discover the turn signal stalk saw me looking far, far ahead than usual. With an infant on board, you seem to notice the, um, local driving standards even more.
What's the worst bit?
But unregulated intersections were the worst. It’s bad enough on regular days, but it’s utterly nerve racking when you’re driving home your new family. First in, first out? Forget about it. It’s ‘me first’ most of the time in these junctions. At this point, I was beginning to understand why some people put a ‘Baby On Board’ sticker on their cars. It’s not just for decoration. That said, I’m not too sure if most motorists will even give a damn.
After more kilometers of, um, very gentle driving, we eventually made it home. Cue feelings of joy and relief that we’re safe and have a new member of our humble abode. Now that we were all home, the adventure of parenthood can really begin.
Was it a stressful drive? I wouldn’t call it that, but you find yourself being a far more careful driver than before. Admittedly, I do like spirited driving, but fatherhood seems to flick the switch into ‘cautious driver’ mode.
Driving as a new parent: A reflection
I came away from that experience with another realization: We’re not exactly kind to each other on the road. Frankly, ‘Eh nasa Pilipinas ka, eh’ is a poor excuse for, let’s be real, shocking behavior on our streets, highways, and byways.
So, how can we make our roads a better place? If everyone had the mindset of driving around with a newborn all the time, I guarantee that more folks will be more considerate and safer motorists. I bet you that more people will give way to each other, cut in line, and be more sensible.
Okay, it’s not the most practical solution, but it’s something to think about.
