Darl Gleed was a Good Old Boy in the best sense of the description. He grew up in Malad, became a professional scouter and lived most of his adult life outside of Idaho, but returned after retirement to his family home and immediately started working to make Malad a better place. He enjoyed life and the people in his life. 

Darl told of being his Uncle Ern’s eyes back in the early 40s.  Ern was blind but had to get out to the farm every day to work. So, the family made arrangements with the local sheriff’s department and Darl was given a provisional license at the age of eight to steer the truck while Ern worked the clutch, gas and brake. The young Darl would climb on Uncle Ern’s lap and navigate the daily trip to the farm.

I think of this story often when I reflect on simpler times and the importance of family, but it really came to mind when friend Virginia Knutsen told about her son, Nathan, “driving” a Tesla X. Seems Nathan wanted to test drive, and I use the term ‘drive’ loosely, one of these self-driving vehicles, so he made arrangements with the dealership to take it on a little jaunt. These are Nathan’s words, “He (the salesman) sat me down, showed me a couple buttons I needed to push so it wouldn’t explode and then literally sent me out the door.” Well, Nathan got to the closest parking lot, pulled out the driver’s manual and did some self-instruction. Then, he took off for his destination 70 miles away and did not touch the steering wheel, gas or brake the whole time. He arrived safely. 

Brother Ed and his wife Paula have taken Nuros which are driverless taxis…and lived to tell about it.

I am not ready for this. However, I suppose it is a Good Life when blind people can drive! We just do it a little differently than Darl and Uncle Ern did in the 40s.