When Kevin was 14, he and I went on a month-long motorcycle ride - we visited Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Arizona. It was a wonderful ride - we were on a nearly brand new 750 Honda riding double and packing 100 pounds of clothing and camping gear. I have many memories of this trip - this is but one.

One day we were traveling down the coast of Oregon when we decided we'd like to stop at a beach and enjoy the ocean for awhile. At the next road that looked like it offered access to the beach we turned. After a couple of turns we could see the ocean, about a mile away, and a nice, paved road winding its way there - not a car or person to be seen.

Kevin spoke in my ear: "Hey dad, how about letting me drive?" Kevin had ridden motorcycles many times before but nothing even approaching the size of the 750 Honda but I didn't hesitate for a second before answering. He had the size and he'd always acted responsibly so I turned and said: "OK, I'll be the passenger for awhile."

He grinned from ear to ear as we changed places. He took off smoothly and drove down to the beach as if he'd been driving for years. When it came time to leave, he drove back up to the highway. I felt secure on the back and never had a moment's doubt.

This was the first time I experienced Kevin's even hand with machines. Up to this point, I'd never felt comfortable riding as a passenger on a motorcycle or in a car with anyone but my dad. In fact I'd never been able to sleep in a car when another person was driving - except when it was my dad. When Kevin started driving a car, I learned that I could sleep with him driving. Most people really don't drive a car (or motorcycle) - they just seem to herd it along.