Against my better judgment I accepted an offer to work for three weeks on a rush proposal project about thirty miles from home. Though thirty miles doesn’t sound like a lot – a mere thirty to forty minutes during a non-rush hour time – I had to travel on two freeways in Los Angeles and Orange counties to get there. Plus I drove at the height of traffic conditions so each way took an hour or more. During the drive to work I had to face the light force of the rising sun, whereas my drive home started at dusk that turned quickly into a dark night sky. Many high-traffic stops and goes along the way were also is in the mix. As a result, I felt the stress every time I got onto those freeways. Plus sitting in the car so long caused my legs, feet, and hips to get stiff and cramp.

Though I’m sure my own driving could be cause of other’s concerns – like how I take too long to change lanes – I also hate the other crazies out there – especially the ones who weave in and out of the carpool lane across the double yellow lines, as they cut in front of me. I also was impatient with folks who don’t go at the speed limit and don’t stay in the far right-hand lane. I’m not one of those. Once I’m situated in the farthest left lane, I go at a pretty good clip.

You might wonder then why I took the job. It’s because I like the work and I loved being asked to do it. I’ve had so much experience helping engineers write proposals – it was my day job in my preretirement work life for almost thirty years – that I didn’t question my ability to help them out again. Once I walk in the door it feels like I never left.

Of course the pay is also a benefit. I’ve found out that book sales will never make me rich. And even though proposal writing won’t make me rich either, it will help me pay for a badly needed yard renovation. Besides, my husband Bob has mostly been our sole wage earner. He’s worked an almost-constant stream of consulting jobs over the last few years. This job gave me the opportunity to share some of the burden.

So the big question is: will I do it again. Since I got so many kudos for the work I just did, I’m sure I’ll be asked to return. However, I’ll have another condition for accepting. For my own sanity and to the company’s benefit, they’ll need to supply me with a car and driver. That way I can work on my own writing while I’m riding along or even take a nap at the end of the day.

If you’re a driver in your seventies or more you might also want to consider the risks of driving at your age – especially on high speed thoroughfares. Helpguide.org has a great article about “Older Driver Safety.” It certainly made me take notice – unfortunately after the fact. It will also help me keep my resolve about driving long distances on the freeways to and from work again. Some of the things the article says to be aware of are physical complaints that could cause driving mishaps such as: “a reduction of strength, coordination and flexibility…, problems with reflexes and range of motion.” Also memory, medications, poor eyesight and hearing, and not enough sleep could impede our driving agility as we age.

According to the Helpguide article, all kinds of help is out there: public transportation, ride sharing, community shuttles, senior transit, taxis, walking or riding a bicycle, and motorized wheel chairs. There’s enough options that I don’t think it’s worth taking the chance anymore. What do you think?

Madeline is the author of Leaving the Hall Light On: A Mother’s Memoir of Living with Her Son’s Bipolar Disorder and Surviving His Suicide (Dream of Things) and Blue-Collar Women: Trailblazing Women Take on Men-Only Jobs (New Horizon Press). She co-edits The Great American Poetry Show anthology series and wrote the poetry for The Emerging Goddessphotography book. See more at http://www.MadelineSharples.com