Lynn’s preferred backseat test-driver is her keen-eyed daughter.
ON many occasions, I am reminded as to just how observant and perceptive children can be. Perhaps because of their small stature, they notice details proportionate to their size. Or maybe it’s because we adults become more de-sensitized as we age. Whatever the reason, I’m always impressed when my five-year-old daughter notices Daddy’s new haircut (even if it’s just a slight trim) or Grandpa’s new reading glasses. While watching the National Day Parade last August, she noticed something glaringly missing.
I thought she meant the absence of Mr Lee Kuan Yew. But, no, it was the lack of a cake. To her, any birthday celebration is incomplete without a cake. Upon PM Lee’s arrival, she exclaimed: “It’s a Lexus!” That’s my girl. This brings me to cars. As a motoring journalist, I should be able to detect the slightest whine in the engine, twitch in the steering and anything else that should be present but is lacking, and vice-versa. But sometimes I’m too busy concentrating on the so-called important features, such as acceleration and handling, that I let other things go unnoticed. Or perhaps I have simply begun taking certain automotive features for granted. Not my little one. Whenever she rides in a coupe or convertible, she will point out that the roof handles are missing, or that the front seatbelts are anchored to the side of the front seats instead of the B-pillars. Once, upon receiving a modelcar as a gift, her question as to why it did not have wing mirrors left us grown-ups stumped, partly because we hadn’t even noticed them in the first place.
Maybe some of these things are unimportant to adults, but to a five-year-old, they are discoveries of epic proportions. And while grown-ups make comments with either positive or negative connotations, a child’s remarks are purely intriguing revelations. The day will come when my daughter ceases to be amazed by such accidental discoveries. Until then, I always remind myself to enjoy every journey with my backseat test-driver.
