b'Matters heart of thematter Featuring Local People, Places andFacing the Test Thingsthat Matter Since 1990PUBLISHER& EDITOR IN CHIEFEllen Donker of Jersey DrivingASSOCIATEEDITOR &SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGERAnne MandellIt feels good to be behind the wheelSTUDENT INTERNEsme Krais BY ELLEN DONKERADVERTISING CONSULTANTSRene ConlonH. Leslie GilmanAmy Power GRAPHIC DESIGN say that neither child passed the first test, so I found my-Ellen Donkerself at the MVC several weeks later. And maybe once COPY EDITORS more. When it was Tims turn to take the test, I selfishly Charles Hammer asked him to try to pass the test the first time. I was get-Tia Swanson ting tired of the trek to Rahway. And he did. Hooray!CONTRIBUTORS W hen I was growing up, get- I wondered how we would manage having three new Image by pngtree.comTori Chickering, Kristen di Gennaro, drivers in the house all wanting to use the cars at the Adrianna Ahern Donat, Esme Krais, same time, but it was rarely a problem. Thats a benefit Amy Lynn-Cramer, Cindy Perman, tingadriverslicensewasof living where kids can walk most places. And maybe its Ilysse Rimalovski, Carlos Sanchez, a big deal. It was a ticketwhy, to my surprise, some of my kids peers didnt rush Harriet Sigermanto some independence andto get their licenses. a chance to give our par- Apparently, its a trend thats been in motion for the ents a break from drivingpast 20 years. CNN reported that according to a 2020 us around town. Everyonestudy, nearly 40 percent of teens delayed getting their made an appointment at the MVC to take the road testlicense by one to two years, and 30 percent delayed by on their 17 thbirthday. I did the same and celebrated themore than two years. Anxiety is the biggest reason, but day as a legal driver. finances and environmental concerns also play a role.Please address all correspondence to: I took to driving quite naturally, but my days on theEarly in her driving career, Madeline wasnt that in-Visual Impact Advertising, Inc. roadwerenotcompletelystress-free.Thatswhyyouterested in getting behind the wheel. I pushed her to P.O. Box 198 keep practicing. Its probably why, on day two of mydrive locally until she felt more comfortable because it Maplewood, NJ 07040 newfound freedom, my father had me drive him on anwas sometimes inconvenient for me to take her places. 973-763-4900 errand in his ginormous Cadillac. The road was crowd- When she was in college, I helped her buy a car. That did mattersmagazine.comed, with two narrow lanes each way. I was sure I wouldwonders with getting her in the drivers seat. info@mattersmagazine.com crash his fancy car, but then I didnt. It made the nextShe is now 25 years old and drives everywhere. She Matters Magazine is owned and publishedtime I drove that much easier.finds herself giving pep talks to friends who are terrified by Visual Impact Advertising, Inc., P.O.When it was time for my kids to learn to drive, myto drive and will avoid highways whenever possible or Box 198 Maplewood, NJ 07040. Matters Magazine is free, with editions direct mailedhusband happily handed me the responsibility. As trip- take an Uber to get around.seven times a year to the residents of Maple- lets they were all on the same timeline, so I took eachI know that traffic in northern New Jersey is no joke, wood and South Orange and distributed toone out to whatever empty parking lot I could find. Tobut doing life here so often requires a car. Im all for businesses and surrounding communities totaling 16,000. Subscriptions are availablepractice parallel parking, we positioned garbage cans atusing public transportation, bicycles and ones own two to non-residents for $30 (U.S.) $40 (Foreign)the curb in front of our house. Neighbors with olderfeet, but I also think its important to have the skill of annually. No part of the publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced withoutkids nodded knowingly as they walked by, rememberingdriving. Maybe that means plowing through our unease writtenpermissionfromVisualImpactthe fraught drill with their own children. in order to tame it. Face it head on. Remember the times Advertising, Inc. These days, kids have to take lessons from a drivingwhen we were brave and everything turned out fine.CIRCULATION VERIFIED BY school if they want their licenses when they turn 17, soIve had my share of close calls, endured horrendous U.S. POSTAL RECEIPTS. I enrolled all three. When their birthday came around,traffic jams and gotten hopelessly lost in sketchy neigh-READ & RECYCLE I took Madeline and Christian to the MVC in Rahway.borhoods, but I wouldnt trade it for the freedom it gives Tim had a glitch and had to wait a few weeks. Lets justme to be in control and able to meet lifes demands. 8/ matters magazine / school 2025'