I’ll be honest: cars and I have never exactly been best friends. I didn’t even get my driver’s license until last year because life kept getting in the way—kids, work, errands, and constantly depending on other people for rides. Eventually, I decided enough was enough. Driving felt like unlocking a superpower, even though I still occasionally turn on the windshield wipers when I mean to use the blinker.

Then, last week, my teenage daughter got into the car after school and pointed at the gear shift. “Mom, what’s that little slot thing?” she asked. I looked down and realized I had never noticed it before. There was a tiny rectangular opening beside the shifter. That night, I finally Googled it, expecting some useless feature. What I discovered surprised me.