There Is No Way I Will Ever Take This Story "Back".

It's just a few minutes after 5pm on this beautiful May evening as I sit outside and watch the cutest four little kids swimming in the pool---an  inauguration of the Brauner Backyard Swim Season. It's begun.

And as I sip my Diet Coke, and listen to their squeals and giggles, I feel overwhelmed with how lucky I am they are all healthy. All happy.  All alive. And I need to do everything I can to slow down and make sure they stay that way. Always.

It was just 6 months ago that in a driving rainstorm I began to back my huge SUV out of the driveway with all four little ones on board.  As I glanced over my shoulder I saw nothing behind me, I slid the transmission into reverse and moved my eyes back forward. And then I saw it. Just a glint of metal.  So, so small. Out of the corner of my eye, peripherally, I saw something in the lower corner of my back-up camera being displayed on my navigation screen. And as I slammed on the brakes so hard that the kids lurched forward in their four different car seats, I realized it was an object.

I jumped out of the car after throwing the transmission into park. And there it was. Inches from my bumper was my five year olds' little bicycle.

What the heck was this doing out? It was raining!

But it was there. And I almost missed it. I could have hit it. And it could have had my child on it.

It could have had your child on it.

The cold chill that ran through me as I leaned against my GMC hauler had nothing to do with the now soaking rain. Instead, it had everything to do with a paralyzing fear.

 I'm a mechanic! I have been taking motors apart since 1969! How did this happen to me??

 I KNOW CARS. I KNOW HOW TO DRIVE. I LECTURE OTHER PEOPLE ABOUT THIS KIND OF STUFF!

None of that mattered. Because I had just come within inches of what could have been a tragedy.  A tragedy that is unfortunately all too common.

As I climbed back into the car all four little monkeys were laughing at me. "Look at Daddy! He looks like he's crying" yelled Charlotte, my beautiful 3 year old.

"Daddy you're soaked, and your face is all wet" squealed my twins, Natalie and Matthew.

They were right. And they were wrong. My face was soaking wet. But not from the rain.

I told them Dad had changed his mind about going to the store and we would have a movie and pizza night in front of the fireplace.  We all ran back inside.

The next day under a dryer sky I gathered the twins, then 7, along with Gretchen 5, and Charlotte 3. I slowly and carefully explained what had happened the day before. How I had almost not seen a bicycle in the driveway. I explained how scared I had been. How scared I will always be from now on when we are backing up.

And that's when Gretchen said it. "We can help you Daddy!"

Thus began a ritual that continues to this day. We do it every time we are getting ready to leave. Every time our SUV prepares to go into reverse.

"Quiet everyone! Quiet!" one of the kids will yell. And then the windows get rolled down. And four little heads begin to swivel. Looking left. Looking right. Looking backwards. And my big noggin' is swiveling too. Looking. Listening. Checking. Double checking.

And when and only when ALL 5 of us agree that it is safe to do so, then and only then do we slowly back up.

And while I find the ensuing applause from my munchkins to be a bit humiliating, they never fail to audibly congratulate me for another successful "backing out of the driveway" event.

And I would have it no other way. You see I love my kids.

And I love your kids.

And I promise to never, ever, be careless like that ever again.  Ever.

 Now let's all go enjoy our summer.

Doug Brauner is the owner/operator of The Car Czar Auto Repair shops, as well as a nationally recognized automotive journalist. Store locations and FREE COUPONS can be found at www.thecarczar.com, and more discounts and deals are at www.facebook.com/thecarczar.