Staying in Lane

I had just learned to read.
With my dad at the wheel,
I was scanning the signs,
Which had novel appeal.

When I proudly called out,
“Daddy – there’s a mistake!”
I was hoping a clever
Impression I’d make.

“See that sign? It says plainly
To stay in your lane.
They must mean stay in line,”
I explained with disdain.

My dad chuckled and then
He made clear what it meant,
So my showing-off bluster
I had to lament.

Still, that memory’s stuck
In some part of my brain
And it surfaces sometimes
When I leave my lane.