For anyone who remembers, I absolutely hated learning how to drive. If there was ever anything in my life that I knew I had to do and absolutely dreaded doing both out of fear and hatred - it was driving. And this was even with my father as a teacher, who is one of the most patient, calm, and relaxed people you will ever meet. Unfortunately I knew him well enough to understand his little idiosyncrasies that indicated that he wasn't quite as calm or relaxed as he would have you believe. So it took me a little longer to feel comfortable behind the wheel.
Well - apparently I've become exponentially more comfortable with driving over the years (even with transit being my primary method of transportation these past three years), because today I had my first driving lesson in a standard vehicle. (Dad, if you're reading this, I hope you're smiling.)
After getting my license I was heartily convinced that I would never drive standard. Having to drive at all was an issue for me, so thinking that I would voluntarily allow myself to work hard to do something I already didn't like, was not something I was prepared to do. But as years wore on, and confidence built, and friends assured me that I could do it, and even have fun driving standard - I was convinced to give it a try. So today, Luke took advantage of our being out of the city and took me to a parking lot in Port Coquitlam to teach me how to drive standard.
It was mostly a lesson in the understanding of a standard transmission and how it all works, followed by some practical lessons of how to get things started. I really just practiced how to go from a stopped position to first, and then how to stop again. But considering that the parking lot we were in was far more active than I would have liked, and that I am already a nervous learner when it comes to driving - I am pretty darn proud of myself. I conquered a fear, learned something new, and am on my way to developing a new skill. And best of all - Luke's car is still fine and I'm still in a relationship! Actually I should give Luke some credit, because the lesson was quite encouraging and didn't involve any tears, gripping onto the door handles, or raised voices of any kind. All in all, it was a success.
Now I think the next thing to do is find a completely empty parking lot and maybe try shifting from first to second and perhaps back down again. ... Let's see if I can handle it!
Awesome. Great life skill to have. And anyone that knows how to drive a stick shift has an embarrassing story to share. Savour yours, whenever it may come.
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