I know a strange question.

I was 22 and about to be married when I got my first car. As a part of a couple, I helped make several car purchasing decisions. Then, after my marriage ended, I bought my first car on my own.

When I was 16 and wanted my permit, my mother – I didn’t even live with my mother – wanted me to learn to change a tire and the car’s oil. My stepfather, even though I didn’t own a car and the car at my grandmother’s was an automatic, taught me to drive stick. It did come in handy later in life – three on the column when I worked a summer job with the Department of Environmental Conservation.

My 19 year old daughter has a car. I am not sure she should. She is now messing with the battery connection. She rigs up all kinds of things to make the car go. It disturbs me to no end. It worries me also. She doesn’t take care of it and she doesn’t know what really makes it work. Maintenance is not a word she understands.

I have tried to explain oil changes, belt replacement, windshield wiper replacement. I don’t think she gets it. So, does having a driver’s license mean you should own a car?