*this is part of the Life Lessons Series* 

As a little girl, I lived in a small Alaskan Village in the north. For more information on the village see  “Surviving and Thriving in Alaska’s Bering Strait Village.”

The location was highly remote, surrounded by tundra and water. We weren’t on the road system at all and the only ways to the village were via bush plane, boat, or dog sled team in the winter. The roads in the village were dirt roads and everyone got around via walking, 4-wheeler (ATV), biking, or in the winter, snowmobiling. 

Subsistence living was a way of life there. People hunted, fished, and foraged for a lot of the food in the village. 

My father and brother would often go out hunting during hunting seasons and would at times go out during the mild months on the 4-wheeler exploring the surrounding area. It was one of these adventures our story today takes place. 

My brother, four-years-old at the time, and father had gone out of the village on the 4-wheeler that day. Stories vary on the telling as to why they had gone out. I distinctly remember over the years the reason they left was because they were going to take care of someone’s horses on their land outside of the village. On my fathers most recent telling, they had just wanted to go out exploring and had no real rhyme or reason as to why they were out. Either way, they were out on the tundra and came upon Cheenik Creek further along the creek than usual. 

My father was unsure of the depth of the water at this area but decided that we would attempt to cross it there anyway and that it would be fine. Little did he know there was a dropoff and the creek in that particular area was deeper than he had expected it to be. 

Water started pouring up over the front of the fourwheeler where my brother was sitting and he was freaking out trying to keep his legs up out of the chilly water. They were stuck in the water, the two of them, no satellite phone, no way to call for help, and so it was up to my father to figure out a way out of this mess. 

My father gets off the back of the 4-wheeler, gets down into the water, grabs the front end and lifts trying to push it back onto the ledge and allow him to back it out of the water but he is just short of being able to make that happen.  The 4-wheeler, despite being in the water, is still running and my father gets a great idea. He throws it into reverse then says to my brother “Hey buddy, do you know how to make the 4-wheeler go?”

“Yea, you push this right here” my brother says pointing to the throttle on the handlebars. 

“Good job buddy. When I tell you to push go, push it just a little bit okay?” My fathers replied. My brother agrees and my father gets down into position. He lifts the 4-wheeler again and tells my little brother ok. My brother, doing what he was told to the letter, pushes it just a little. The wheels turn slowly but are just not getting the traction needed to pull the vehicle out of the water and my father cannot hold the heavy machine anymore. 

He puts it down again and looks once more at my little brother and says “good job buddy. Next time, push it harder, okay?” 

“Okay” is my little brother’s response. 

My father gets back down, lifts the 4-wheeler and says to my brother okay and just as my father had told him, my brother pushes it harder, only harder to my brother had translated to full throttle! 

The 4-wheeler gets the traction needed to jerk it back out of the water and suddenly my brother is flying across the tundra backward at the fullest speed he can get the thing to. He is holding on for dear life frozen with his hand still on the throttle still holding it screaming “AHHHHHHHHHHH” as he goes and my father has come running after him out of the water hollering in panic chasing the speeding vehicle “Let go! LET GO LET GO!!” 

During all the confusion, my brother manages to pull a perfect 180 turn and is suddenly flying backward across the tundra toward my father who turns and starts running as fast as he can away. He is scared and so it is excusable that he doesn’t think to get out of the way by running sideways, instead he jumps the creek as my brother comes flying backwards at him still screaming at the stop of his longs “AHHHHHHHHHH!” and finally manages to let go of the throttle. 

The 4-wheeler stops with its back wheels just barely touching the water in the spot they had just vacated. 

My father looks at my brother from across the creek where my brother sits on the 4-wheeler pale and shaking like a leaf. He calls my brother’s name, once- no response, twice- no response, then uses the nickname we have called him since he was small “PORK CHOP!” 

My brother turn and looks then and my father sighs in relief and says to him “are you okay?”

“I drove the 4-wheeler” comes the shaky reply. 

“Yea you did buddy. Are you okay?”

“I think so.” 

Dad jumps the creek again, takes my brother off the 4-wheeler and checks him and the vehicle over. Satisfied everything is okay he gets back on with my brother and they continue their adventure. My brother has calmed down at this point and is talking a million miles an hour. “Dad, I drove the 4-wheeler, did you see me? I did good! I am a good driver! Can I drive again dad?” 

“NO!” 

“Okay. But why? I did good?” 

“You did good buddy, but no. Not until you are older.” 

“Okay” is my brother’s reply and they continue their adventure. 

After a while they begin heading back and my father looks at my brother and says “hey buddy, we shouldn’t tell your mom you drove the 4-wheeler.” 

“But why?” Comes the small reply. 

“Well, some things can be kept between us. Like boy things.” Says my father. 

“Oh, like a secret?”

“Yes, like a secret!” Says my father. 

“Okay.” My brother and father arrive back in the village shortly and head toward the house. 

My mother made it a point to always greet my father and brother at the door after they had been out and she did just that, greeting them and saying “how was it?” 

“I DROVE THE 4-WHEELER!!” Is my brother’s reply. 

My father got into so much trouble and a few days later my brother was caught trying to throw the 4-wheeler into gear to take it on a joy ride and they had to start hiding their keys from him. 

Lessons learned in this were to check the depth of the water before trying to cross, be clear on the instructions you give to small children, and 4-year-olds don’t keep secrets from mothers especially when the secret is “I drove the 4-wheeler!”

-Dare.