On our way to Disneyland today, we drove in silence. The kids all have ear phones for DVD players, sometimes they stop watching movies to read, and Monica and I just sit up front and enjoy the quiet. Usually, when I drive to work by myself, I listen to a book from audible.com or a podcast or even my satellite radio. But, when I drive the family, I like to drive with nothing playing at all. Why is that you ask? For three reasons:
The primary reason I don’t like to listen when driving the family is because I enjoy talking to Monica. When else do you have time to spend six hours in conversation with your wife? Uninterrupted, for the most part—time. If I turn on the radio, the attention goes to the radio. If I listen to a book or podcast—of course, the attention goes to the talking. The attention does not to the one person that you have decided to spend your leave with, and—by the way—the rest of your life! However, if you turn off the radio—you can just talk.
A second reason to not listen to the radio is that after a while the music gets monotonous—and I fear that I will become sleepier. Driving my entire family while sleepy is not a good feeling. So, this is one of the ways I make sure I stay awake is by talking and interacting.
The third reason for not listening to audio while driving on vacation is that when there isn’t conversation, I have the opportunity to think about different things—like writing or planning. It is this time that I am able to process the things that are going on around me.
Sometimes, it does get a little quiet—especially when the family is on a long trip. We went to SC last summer. But, sometimes this quietness build in the family a quiet spirit and a calm heart.
So, as we prepare for our second day of travel tomorrow, we appreciate the quiet conversation we enjoyed today.