"Be the Driver..."

I was never blessed with a big brother (2nd of 5 myself, with all the other standard sibling combinations), so perhaps I read a different message into Maureen Dowd's column today.

Anyway, on one shopping expedition, I had a big fight with a roommate, no doubt over whether to get canned or frozen corn, creamed or whole kernel.

We were at a supermarket in a blighted part of D.C. My roommate got furious, stormed off in her car and left me stranded. I called my brother Kevin to come get me. On the way back to school, he offered this advice: “Never pick a fight with the guy who’s driving.”

I took that to heart, literally and metaphorically. It has spared me plenty of problems since.

Speaking of being the driver, maybe it's best not to book airline tickets these days with all that attitude in the air. Besides, I like to experience the changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes more gradually myself.