Learning to drive.

I bought a deck of cards with "Topics for discussion" for an upcoming trip. One of the questions:

Who taught you to drive?

Most teenagers look forward to the day when they can get their learners! I was the same. So, at 15 I was able to get mine.
I would go over to visit my Dad every Sunday. So, he was the one with the task of the hands on wheel training. Not a fun one, you could tell by the stress on his face, but he did a good job.
(No scratches in the learning process, thank goodness!)
And, I also took a Drivers Education class at school for the details.

When I got my license at 17, I thought it would give me FREEDOM!

But, you have to have a car or the license is not fun! And, my Dad got tired of me phoning him at 10:00 PM to come and pick me up from work to drive me across town home.
So, he purchased a 57 Chevy for me! (4 Door - but worked great!) I had no idea at the time what a great thing he did for me.

Because of a bit of jealousy on my mom's part, I knew that she would not take it well. So, I didn't tell my mom or step dad. I parked it up the street and around the corner and would walk home-as if I had taken the bus.

I would wash the car and keep it clean. Without skills as to how to wash a car, I climbed on the roof of the car to wash it, slid down the back and sliced my leg up pretty good. No stitches, just a huge scar today. I have also since learned not to climb on the roof of the car. Actually, if I am washing the car by hand, I don't worry about the top part as much. After all, who looks at the roof of your car other than truckers driving next to you who have WAY dirtier trucks!

One day my mom told me she knew I had the car, but didn't tell my step dad because he would have had a fit if he knew my Dad gave me a car! She thought this might be a good thing because I could do errands for her! But, that was short lived, found out and I had to give it up and give it back to my Dad.

Part 2 of driving skills is to learn to drive a Standard (stick shift) car. So, my cousin took me one day in his car-brave soul he was! Taught me the basics. I thought I had it covered! Until my brother let me drive his El Camino up a steep hill. Did I ever tell him I had to back down the entire hill because I had a line-up behind me, not being able to get over the hill? I can now successfully drive a Stick shift car, only burning the clutch a "little".

Today, I drive all over the city on a daily basis. Pick people up, go to work or our meetings.

I am no longer so excited about being able to drive!

SO, fair warning children! If in the future I become old(er) and you are EVER concerned about my driving skills (more than you already have been for years), PLEASE!!! let me know and you can ABSOLUTELY! HAVE! THE! KEYS!!!