Dial a dad

If you are like me you sometimes struggle with the relationship with your daughter. On one hand the white knight- savior role is really appealing. You swore to protect and empower your little girl from moment one. On the other hand, that empowerment requires her to stumble and fall from time to time- and to pick herself up and move forward.

So I get a call from E and she starts with our standard opener- “Dad, do you have a minute, I have a quick question”, my response- “of course bug, what’s up”. She is borrowing a friend’s car to get around as “Stella” her VW continues it’s endless saga in the body shop- another story for another time.

“Have you ever been in a Prius?”, I respond- “Yeah sweetie, I’ve ridden in one, why?” She replies-“ I can’t figure out how to turn the wipers on and its dumping rain” .

So starts the virtual tech session- Keene to Copenhagen via phone.

I start with- “there should be stalks on the column on the left” .Her response- “yeah that’s the turn signal” . “Is there an end to the stalk that can rotate? ” I ask. “Nope” she replies. “How about the other side- is there a stalk there” . “Yeah dad” she says. “Try pushing it up” I say. She pushes it down- “Ooh dad, the back wiper works” . I’m thinking- Victory awaits.. “Try pushing it up”. “Dad, it works on the front, but I have to hold it and that won’t work- frustration in her voice” . “Try pushing it forward”. “Dad, that made the washer work- it’s raining, I don’t need the washer” E says with a sarcastic sigh. “Try pushing up, you should have different notches that control the wiper speed”.

Sound of stalk moving and a quiet “aha”. “Dad it works”.

“Great job sweetie. Anything else I can help with?” “No dad, I’ll call you later”. “Sounds great, have a great rest of your day, love you” I remark. She quickly responds- “Love you too”.

No call later- all is solved and right in the wiper world.

Operators standing by in Dad world.