O Me! O Life.

The new commercial for Apple's iPad Air features part of a Walt Whitman poem that Robin Williams quoted in the movie Dead Poets Society and ends with the refrain:  That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse.  That the powerful play goes on and you will contribute a verse.  Apple and Williams then asks; And what will your verse be?

I think I found out today after Ben showed up for his driving test.  He was a huge 24 year old man sporting a full red beard, construction worker boots and large calloused hands.  After he squeezes himself into our rental car Ben looks me square in the eye and confides; "I suck at parallel parking".

"What a perfect title for when I compile my stories and publish a book about all of my road tests adventures" I think.  I SUCK AT PARALLEL PARKING could be my contribution to the recurring questions Whitman asks.

Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill'd with the foolish,  Those are my average customers!

Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)  I'll admit, even after doing this for 15 years I've still got a lot to work on.

Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew'd,  If this isn't referring to parallel parking then nothing is.

Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me,  O Me!  O Life!  Day after day they roll through stop signs, the same stop signs, the same right turns at red lights, over and over.  Does not one mortal man understand that stop means stop!  Your car should not move, the seconds must tick like sonic booms warning of impending disaster. Be like the frozen waves off the shores of Lake Michigan in the winter of 0 14.  You stand above it all, watching, thinking, amazed that while you are suspended above the raging forces of man and nature, time has waited for you.  And you, you have contributed a verse!