Remember the scene in that 1992 movie "Scent of A Woman" - - Al Pacino (playing the part of a blind man)...whipping down the streets behind the wheel of a cherry-red Ferrari? A classic movie moment.
But, a few days ago, it was almost a case of life imitating art.
Roger Keeney (of Athens, Georgia) lost his eyesight 20 years ago in a farming accident. The man recently won a Ford-sponsored essay writing contest...in which the top prize was the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a brand new 2010 Ford Mustang. (The company had recently asked Pony Car fans to write a Mustang "dream story" for a chance to win a spin in a new car).
Roger says he never thought he'd win. But, Ford indeed awarded him with an all-expenses paid trip to Phoenix...where he got to get behind the wheel, with NASCAR driver Tommy Kendall riding shotgun. (OK...that must've been scary, even for a "nerves of steel" NASCAR driver. Can you imagine the look on his face when someone from Ford informed him that he was going to be in the passenger seat of a car being driven by someone who has no eyesight? Priceless!)
Anyway...unlike the Ferrari scene in "Scent of A Woman", this guy's ride was confined to a test road out in the middle of the desert (as opposed to crowded city streets). But still, he was allowed to put the pedal to the metal....approaching speeds of 150 km/hr!
So, as a parent teaching his 16 year-old daughter to drive these days...maybe those driving lessons aren't so bad after all. I'll try to remember that the next time I'm sitting in the car next to her...with my knuckles buried into the edges of my seat.