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My Gen X Playlist: Let Her Go – Passenger

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I saw a driverless taxi on the road the other day. I knew they existed, it’s the first time I saw one in action. My reaction was a mixture of surprise and wonder. It was odd seeing a bunch of empty cars driving on the streets. Wild.

My father in law could benefit from this. We think it’s getting close for him to give up driving. Too bad driverless technology isn’t universally in place yet. That would be a game changer.

We’ve suggested he use Uber as an alternative and faced two obstacles. One, him agreeing to give up driving. I don’t see this happening anytime soon. He’d sooner eat dirt. And two, teaching him how to use his phone to summon a car service. Even if he was willing to give it a try, the process of getting him from point A to B would be a painful challenge. It would be Groundhog Day, repeatedly showing him how it worked. We haven’t figured out a solution for him, yet. It’s a work in progress.

When my father got older, he eventually gave up driving. Fortunately, his short term memory issues worked in our favor because he didn’t ruminate on the fact he didn’t drive anymore. If that was ever top of mind, I think he’d stew in it and be a little pissed.

We also contained the risk that he’d grab the keys and jump into the car. This happened by chance. When my oldest niece became old enough to drive, we floated the idea that he gift her his car. My dad enthusiastically agreed. He spent an entire day washing, waxing and making the interior spotless. He was all smiles when he handed over the keys. I remember the big hug he gave her before she drove off. He cherished loving acts for the grandkids.

A few months later I was visiting and found my dad a little upset because he wondered what the hell happened to his car. It no longer was in the driveway. I reminded him of his generous gesture. That’s all he needed to hear. He softened, his anger melted and he smiled really big. I put my arm around his shoulder patted him on the back. Way to go, grandpa. Interestingly enough, we never had a conversation about the car ever again.

There would be times when he would randomly say to me,

I still can drive, you know.

I always replied the same way.

Dude, I know. But you’ve been driving the family for almost sixty years. It’s our turn to give you a lift.

I think deep down inside he understood his driving days were over. He just needed to affirm the feeling that he still could. I was happy to comply.

Accepting it’s time to give up driving is a difficult decision. I love driving, but I think I’ll be the cooperating old guy that gives up his keys willingly when the time comes. I’m sure driverless technology will be the norm by then and I’ll have no problem sitting back being a passenger and enjoying the ride.

The band name Passenger came to mind as I wrote that last line. I couldn’t think of any particular song until I searched YouTube and was reminded of Let Her Go. Good tune. The song title made me mentally loop back to my father in law. Time to let go of the car keys, my friend. It’s time to let go. We’ll keep trying.

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For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

Well you only need the light when it's burning low
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go

Only know you've been high when you're feeling low
Only hate the road when you're missing home
Only know you love her when you let her go
And you let her go

Staring at the bottom of your glass
Hoping one day you'll make a dream last
But dreams come slow and they go so fast

You see her when you close your eyes
Maybe one day you'll understand why
Everything you touch surely dies

But you only need the light when it's burning low
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go

Only know you've been high when you're feeling low
Only hate the road when you're missing home
Only know you love her when you let her go

Staring at the ceiling in the dark
Same old empty feeling in your heart
Cause love comes slow and it goes so fast

Well you see her when you fall asleep
But never to touch and never to keep
Cause you loved her too much and you dived too deep

Well you only need the light when it's burning low
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go

Only know you've been high when you're feeling low
Only hate the road when you're missing home
Only know you love her when you let her go
And you let her go
Ohhh, oh no
And you let her go
Ohhh, oh no
Well you let her go

Cause you only need the light when it's burning low
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go

Only know you've been high when you're feeling low
Only hate the road when you're missing home
Only know you love her when you let her go

Cause you only need the light when it's burning low
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go

Only know you've been high when you're feeling low
Only hate the road when you're missing home
Only know you love her when you let her go
And you let her go

18 thoughts on “My Gen X Playlist: Let Her Go – Passenger”

  1. Cute, i like this! I bought my grandparents car from them when my gpa stopped driving and though i was excited, i couldn’t help but feel a bit bad or guilty, knowing i was taking away their “freedom” 😩

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    1. It really is a difficult transition. Now with uber, it’s a lot more manageable. Even buying groceries online is convenient. But still, there’s nothing like driving during summer with the windows down…

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  3. GenXer, couldn’t help but think of the Stones here… “What a drag it is… getting old.” 🫤

    Gifting the car was a great idea. He got to be the cool grandpa and lessen the sting, the indignity of giving up his keys. My dad had to give his up about the time my mom passed, his vision was just not that great anymore. The timing was good bc he had driven her everywhere. After that, he got to be “copilot” with me or my brother and he was just happy to drive along with his coffee and BS.

    Great post and song selection 😎👏

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  4. I can’t wait for someone to drive me around. You can actually order someone an uber from your account. I do it for my mom sometimes. I also have her share her location with me, just in case.

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  5. Sweet story about your Dad. My father-in-law really would’ve benefited from driverless cars as well. Boston is persistently (and short-sightedly, IMO) resisting Waymo. The unions are against it, but I think the elderly and people with disabilities would really benefit.

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    1. It was Waymo cars that I saw driving around. I was pretty impressed. Just odd to look over at the car next to me and it being empty.

      I read Tesla is possibly making a car without a steering wheel and gas/break pedals. I hate the guy, but the concept is interesting.

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  6. Here in DC, driverless vehicles have become the norm. I was sufficiently unnerved the first time I spotted one–now they are pretty much everywhere.

    That said, it will be a cold day you-know-where before I step foot in a driverless taxi. I hope I will be smart enough to know when it’s time to give up my keys, but I also hope there will still be driver-ful options like Uber, Lyft, and even a bus left for me to choose from.

    I don’t think driverless cars are competent enough to successfully fulfill the myriad of split-second decisions that have to be made while driving. A ball rolls out in front of the vehicle, a pedestrian jaywalks, a car cuts a turn too wide…I’m not saying all human drivers are up to the endless tasks of getting from point A to point B without incident.

    Believe me, I’ve seen enough horrific drivers here in DC alone to last a lifetime. But I know enough to not proceed through an intersection as the first car on a green light without counting to 3 and looking both ways (impatient horns be damned) because of the number of redlight runners (this has saved me countless times). And that’s just one example of defensive driving that I’m not sure is sufficiently curated in our robotic counterparts.

    I’ll be more willing to give up my license when the time comes, knowing there are still somewhat competent human drivers to help me get around. Or, maybe a becoming a hermit ain’t so bad. 🙂

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  7. I hate driving. I don’t understand the American obsession with it, cars, more cars, things that look like cars and have motors but are even more dangerous. I can see twenty or more of them from my driveway. Why do we need so many? Driving opens me up to so many dangers, so much aggression, always part of the rat race . . . but I have to do it to get to work. Bring on the teleportation, I say, I wouldn’t miss driving for a moment. Or just take away my keys. Fortunately, my wife does most of it when we’re together, so that’s another reason to love her. Maybe I should get her a chauffeur’s cap.

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    1. Hahaha… I’d love to see her expression if you hand her the chauffeur’s cap! Teleportation makes me think of Star Trek – the original series. I always wondered if all the particles made it through.

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