When I was little maybe 7 or 8 I remember sitting in the front passenger's seat of the van late at night. I had specifically been chosen for passenger duty. My mom was driving, and we were somewhere between Massachusetts and Utah. I was chattering away and my mom, her voice tired, said "I've got to stop I'm getting too sleepy."
"But," I said, "wasn't I doing a good job talking."
"Oh it's not your fault. It's just too late."
That allayed my fears somewhat but I was still kind of sad that I hadn't been able to keep my mom awake.
This week I went on a long car trip. Two days one way. I was in the front seat the first day and felt an obligation to converse with the driver. I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation but I know I talked more and shared more than I normally would have if I hadn't felt that duty to entertain the driver. The next day and the two coming back I was sitting in the back and I didn't feel that responsibility so keenly, although I have to admit I was a little disturbed how little the passenger seat occupants didn't seem to worry about it at all.
At first I was really confused how this almost inherent feeling of duty could be apparently nonexistent in so many others but then I realized a couple of things:
1) I've probably done a lot more long road trips than most people.
2) I was taught about it explicitly when I was little.
3) The others in the car that did understand passenger duty choose not to sit in the front because they wanted to avoid the responsibility.
No comments:
Post a Comment