I think a lot about the advice my dad — an Army vet, hobbyist race car driver, former pilot, retired automotive engineer, current restorer of classic cars, and all-around Adventurous but Extremely Reliable Guy — gave repeatedly while teaching me to drive at 14:

“Look where you want to go. Don’t look at the ground in front of you — look the furthest down the road you can, and relax. Your body and mind will work together to get you there.”

Dad always pointed out that while driving, you’re tempted to watch the ground right in front of the car, thinking they’ll have more control...but that it just makes you anxious, jerky, and over-reactive in the driver’s seat.

On the other hand, Dad would say — When you look where you want to go, you’ll find that your mind and senses are trustworthy. Trust yourself. And then if you need to react quickly, you’ll be ready and able to keep trusting yourself.

I love to drive, and Dad’s advice has proved invaluable on the roads. But over the last several years, “Look where you want to go” has also helped me navigate some big decisions: bumps and forks in the road, if you will.

Lately I’ve been thinking about it in COVID-19 terms, too. “Look where you want to go.” Like all Americans, I want to see friends. I want to travel. But if we all just look at the ground in front of us, people will die— and as a nation, we’ll continue to lose faith in each other.

And this morning, on #MemorialDay, I can’t stop thinking of the generations of American servicemen and women who have given their lives to protect others. And I think of my dad, who constantly, unthinkingly puts others before himself. I have so many stories.

Each of us now has an opportunity to look where we want to go, and our roads are inseparable: one jerky, reckless driver makes it dangerous for everyone. Let’s choose to build trust within ourselves, and see if that helps us remember how to be the United States of America.