I don't know how many times I have been to the driver's licensing office on Lidgerwood over the years.

But I remember the first. And it was nothing like yesterday.

My first time there, almost 27 years ago, the waiting room was packed with a cross-section of Spokane that was diverse in just about every way. Multiple skin colors. Multiple languages.

That would more or less be my experience in subsequent visits.

Then the state started letting you renew by mail. And quite a few years passed before I found myself on Lidgerwood again.

I had to go yesterday because it was time for a new license and I had to do the vision test.

I expected to be camped there for a while. But there was hardly anyone in the waiting room. It was a little disappointing.

Sure, I was glad that I did not have to wait long. Still, I sort of missed seeing Spokane's version of the cultural melting pot.

I don't suppose many people actually look forward to going to the licensing office. Maybe overconfident teenagers or those who have lost 40 pounds since their last license photo.

But I had come to think of that place as a one-stop reminder that Spokane is a real city. No, we're not San Francisco. But we're not Fargo either.

I passed the vision test, but the truth is there wasn't much to see. 

What are your memories of visiting the licensing office?

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