Sacha my Chauffeur with Jesus in the Middle

Sacha chauffeur
Falling asleep at the wheel has few advantages. I can drive twenty minutes, and on a good day forty five minutes, before sleep starts creeping into my eyes. The only way I know that I am falling asleep at the wheel, is that my knees start to shake. 

I beat you want to drive with me?

Sacha offered to be my chauffeur today, the only advantage of falling asleep at the wheel is having chauffeurs. Isn't it true that some of the best conversations are had in cars? A confessional of sorts. Not that Sacha had any sins to confess, or I had any I wanted to share. No, it was the simple pleasure of being one on one, intimate and endearing. We had some good laughs.

 

 

___________ A Story: 1996, Sacha and the Middle with Jesus __________________

 

"Sacha it is my turn to sit in the middle!" Chelsea hopelessly said to her brother. "Mommy, tell Sacha to move, it is not fair he ALWAYS sits in the middle."

In France children were not allowed to ride in the front seat of the car, until they were 14 or reached a certain height. The car battle zone was the middle seat, in which there was a straight-shot view out the front window. Having two children engaged me in peace talks each journey.

Sacha was a mastermind at claiming the strategic spot: He would either pitch a royal fit, or scream bloody murder. It worked. Chelsea and I let him have his way in order to have peace of mind. Peace talks seldom went pass the first word!

This day was an exception to that rule.

Dropping the bomb I said, "Sacha you need to share, it is Chelsea's turn. Please move."

He went ballistic. Oh how he could be dynamite! Sometimes NATO doesn't agree, single agent Sacha stood sat for what he wanted against the odds.

"Sacha I am not in the mood for this behavior, either you move, or I will move you." Threatening wasn't my style unless facing a four year old with his red hot temper and a six year old who should have won a noble peace prize– or at least a middle seat once in awhile.

As we drove off in our new positions, Sacha looked at me in the rear view mirror, "Mommy, I don't think Jesus would have responded in the same way. He would (have) hugged me and told me to have the middle."

With the force short of a miracle I didn't laugh, "Sacha, did you act like Jesus?"

"Oh! I didn't think about that."

___________________________________

And now the wheels are turned. Oh that Boy-Boy when did he became such a gentleman?

The battle zone is no longer a screaming child, but my inner child longing for the freedom to drive wherever my heart desires.

Can you drive for hours on end?

 

 



Comments

35 responses to “Sacha my Chauffeur with Jesus in the Middle”

  1. No driving for hours for me. I wouldn’t be able to take pictures. I always have a sidekick who likes to drive and stop on a dime. They understand the passenger imperative that says “I stop for pictures.”

  2. I took lessons but never had the confidence to take the test. So I walk, bus, train everywhere.

  3. Great comeback from la mรจre! THAT is priceless!

  4. I can and do drive for hours on end. When I was young, my dad and I would hit the road on Sundays which his only day off. He loved antique shops and old houses. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

  5. Like Ana. However there are few things that I enjoy more than going on a little road trip (or to a thrift shop)with a friend driving.

  6. I always drive from Los Angeles to the Bay Area by myself but I make a few stops along the way for lunch and coffee or a short stroll thru San Luis Obispo. I thoroughly enjoy it! Now, my sister cannot stay awake in the car for 5 minutes – so guess who always gets to drive? Haha

  7. Corey, I’m a little concerned as I won a weeks stay with you that includes touring around the brocantes and sights…do I have to drive? ; )
    I love long drives!! I’ve done the Auckland (North Island) down to Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand by myself a few times. This trip takes from 5am to about 10 pm same day with a 3 hour ferry ride between islands…a 1000 kilometre trip in one go…all without falling asleep at the wheel. You are a bit of a worry my girl!!

  8. Janet with Eiffel

    I was a service rep for a drug company
    I drove, and drove, and drove for years.
    Now I’m retired I will make any excuse,
    tell any lie (if necessary) to give the
    driving to someone else.

  9. Very funny story.
    Driving for me is no problem but when my 17 year old son reads to me I can.not.keep.my.eyes.open for more than 15 minutes. It’s like a drug. I guess I should record him reading to use as a sleep aid after he goes off to college.

  10. I have driven a huge amount ths summer. Up and down the I-87 to get the kids to camp in Vermont, hrough the Mont Blanc mountains from Geneva to chamonix to Aosta for pizzas (and back to Geneva in the same day!), London to Oxford, Newcastle, Stonehenge…and then the twisty roads of Portofino, next stop Hong Kong.
    I enjoy the distance, the length does not bother me and I love the entertaining conversations; however, what really bothers me is that people tend to boring,y repeat the same thing over and over again to me, “..in this country, we drive on the left/right side of the road!”
    Geez louise, I will pay attention in the next country.

  11. yes I LOVE car rides and I do not mind getting lost I love the conversations and the scenery and the rest stops music on the radio just love car rides driving or passenger-love them!

  12. Every day I have a 45 min commute to work each way. Bumper to bumper I get through it with satellite radio, blue tooth talking to DH (darling husband), thinking and planning the future like what we will do this weekend, I pray part of the way with a CD that prays the rosary. On weekends you have to drug or bribe me to get me into a car and onto a freeway. Happy trails.

  13. If I won the lottery, the first thing I would do is hire a chauffeur. I hate driving. However, if I were driving to a brocante or antique fair or antique flea market, then I could be happy driving. Only then.
    That’s just me. Commuting will suck the joy of driving out of anyone. sigh

  14. My oldest son was the same way about the front seat!!! He made his four siblings and his mother a total wreck every time we all got into the car. For some reason he felt being the oldest entitled him to that seat and nothing could change his mind. (I never thought about Jesus!)
    I do not like city driving. Country roads I can handle. This certainly limits my long distance travel.

  15. I got my love of driving and road trips from my Dad. He could drive for hours on end. I’m the same way. Give me my radio and old time radio shows and I’m set. I had a long road trip this summer traveling to teach. I brought my Mom and my 16 year old son along for company. I did all of the driving (3500 miles!) If I hadn’t, we’d be in a ditch somewhere as Mom pays more attention to the scenery than the road! I love road trips!
    I’m still cracking up at your kids and driving story. ๐Ÿ™‚

  16. I can drive for hours as long as I have music playing. As my husband likes to say…I can drive for as long as necessary to get to a good flea market…Portland, Spokane …3-5 hours each way:)

  17. Yes, I can, but if my husband is with me he can’t relax when I drive. Love that you have a chauffeur. Loved the story.

  18. I easily get car sick so prefer to drive – about 4 hours is my limit though before having to take a break. Living in France, I now drive a scooter and have to use the car only once a month or so.

  19. Yes! I can drive for hours. I drove from my daughter’s home in Phoenix to my home in Chico. My companion was Pearle, our pug. She slept in her little doggie bed the entire fourteen hour trip!

  20. Corey, yes, I am dying to go driving with you because we are headed to the brocante(s). I’ll wake you up when I need directions.
    I used to be able to drive long distances, but these days, not so much. I’m looking forward to the alleged high-speed rail between LA and San Fran, whenever that happens.

  21. I don’t like to drive for too long but to have to, I do have a coffee stop and a walk every now and then. Lyn

  22. aaah, this is a priceless story – I can so rely to it! Including the Jesus ‘bit’ – when we behaved badly, my dad used to say something along this line : If God could see you now, do you think he would like to take you to him in heaven? Well, maybe a bit nicer but that’s it came across.
    And you, my love, you’re a bit of a liability…. gosh, you’re the one person I know who needs (and deserves) a chauffeur…. :)))

  23. This is such a touching story – thank you for sharing. I can drive long distances but my brother is just like you. He commutes from New Hampshire to Boston every day. He is in a small carpool. He made a deal with his co-workers – they will use his car every day but he never has to drive. They are happy to oblige!

  24. Great chauffeur(s)! ;-9
    Best talks in cars? Yes, definitely, unless it is your 4 year old telling you “You’ll never get it, mom!” (after I asked for the third time what was the hard to pronounce name of her new preschool friend).
    I love road trips! I used to load my small children into the van and drive all the way from DC to Jekyll Island, Georgia. They are not so small anymore, but they talk to this day about those trips.

  25. Every trip starts with one of them shouting “Shotgun all the way” – and the first one to shout gets the front seat, to this day. It’s amazing how three of them always concede the front seat peacefully to the winner. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  26. sarah webb

    love it! such a good mommy response!!! (and quick thinking..i usually can’t come back that quick with my kiddo)

  27. I love this! ๐Ÿ™‚ Thanks for sharing your mommy moments ๐Ÿ™‚

  28. They surprise you, don’t they? Our version of Sacha is Kevin, who spent his teens with about three phrases, “Huh?” “I don’t know” and “Whatever.” We felt bad because we almost didn’t miss him when he went away to school. After his first semester and then his first year, he came back articulate, charming, an engaged conversationalist, hard worker. We think aliens kidnapped him while he was there, but that’s OK. We like what they sent back!
    A lovely story!

  29. Beautiful story!I too get the feeling I want to nap when driving!This has been a 50’s thing!Awful feeling………..
    YOur NEW photo up top on the right is beautiful too!

  30. Dont hold your breath on that one!I do not think it will happen in our life time but wouldn’t it be GRAND!

  31. Such a cute story………I have my pathway memorized by heart and know all of the turns and traffic lanes to take and timing to drive from Chico to San Francisco ………. to see my lovely daughters.

  32. How I long to drive for miles and miles once again, but epilepsy prevents me. Instead, I have replaced driving with walking miles and miles.

  33. Since rheumatoid arthritis struck, I can no longer drive long distances, and, some days, no distances at all. I work from home, fortunately. don’t mind the lack of freedom as much as I mind imposing on others. When my husband was recently hospitalized for serious surgery in a hospital 45 minutes away, my daughters not only alternated with me, sitting with him at the hospital, but also had to transport me back and forth. It was an extra drain on them when they didn’t need such extra tasks. We did have some wonderful conversations, however, and I certainly have a renewed appreciation for my wonderful daughters. Whatever obstacles we face, there’s usually a silver lining.

  34. Laurie SF

    The best part about driving with you, aside the knocking knees? When you ask for the car manual from the glove box,at the petrol station “Laurie, damn it, I can never remember if this old car takes regular or diesel.”
    I love that about you.

  35. Laurie SF, Dang you! I never swear! ๐Ÿ™‚

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