We'll take the lungs, too, if you're not using them...

How a conversation can alternate between hilarious and horrifying, in less than a minute: 

“Wait, what?”

That was my younger son, asked by the nice lady at the Maryland Vehicle Administration if he’d like to become an organ donor. He and I were there to take care of business; met to renew my expired driver’s license and him to take the test for his Maryland learner’s permit. It’s always later than you think. 

“Wait, what?”

“Step right this way, young sir. We’ll have those kidneys on ice in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. You won’t feel a thing.” 

Hilarious. 

*****

My son is very bright, but I guess he didn’t know how organ donation worked, and I certainly hadn’t prepared him for that question. You never want to think about your child dying in a car crash, or any other way, so we hadn’t discussed the organ donor box on the driver’s license. He was taken aback. I explained it to him quickly. 

“Sure,” he said, shrugging. “I won’t need them, obviously.” He picked up the stylus, signed the signature pad, and stood against the wall to take his eye test.

“I won’t need them, obviously.” 

Horrifying. HORRIFYING. 

*****

He passed his test, so now he begins nine months of actually learning how to drive. And Maryland extended the valid period for driver’s licenses, from six years to eight. My sons will both be grown men, maybe with children of their own, the next time I have to renew my license. It is always later than you think.