My sister is much more willing to take a risk than I am, and she reminded me of this fact a couple of times during the 2 weeks she was visiting us in Arizona. The first reminder involved something I can see a lot of people trying. I read about it in the paper all the time. The second reminder was much more unique.

My sister calls me at work one afternoon and asks if she can borrow my wife's car to run to the store and pick up some things. My wife was carpooling with the neighbor that day. My gut reaction was to say, “sure, go ahead.” Then I remembered that she hasn't owned a car since she moved to New York City more than a decade ago.

“Do you have a license?” I asked. She said she did because she occasionally rents a car when she goes out of the city. “What about insurance?” I followed up with. My policy only covers me and my wife. She told me not to worry about it. She was just going to the store for a few minutes, an hour tops. I suggested she get some short term car insurance while she was here and she could borrow the car whenever she wanted.

This ignited one of her famous moods where I am referred to as “The Prude” for at least 48 hours. I called my insurance company and inquired about her options for short term car insurance and they had some that were really not expensive. My efforts didn't matter, I was still “The Prude.”

That weekend we made a trip to the Grand Canyon. There was a group of guys who were jumping bicycles into the canyon off a homemade ramp. Part way down they would deploy a parachute and coast to the bottom. The bicycles were mangled when they hit the ground. My sister said it looked like fun and started asking if she could try. Before she could finish learning how to work the parachute, my wife and I had her back in the car on the road.

Our visits to Old Tucson and Saguaro National Park were a lot of fun and less risky. I was “The Prude” for almost the entire 2 weeks she was here. She definitely has a different perspective on things. At the same time, I like my quiet, comfortable life.