Daddy I drove! I drove! I really drove!

Well technically I moved the car! Same difference right? So for the rest of this post let it be envisioned as driving in all its awesomeness.
If ever there was going to be a post that exposed how juvenile I am this would be it so brace yourselves…
I remember the day like it was 28 days ago… that’s because it was 28 days ago… It was faux pas May Day because May Day was being celebrated in our little island on the day before May Day hence taking the word ‘May’ out of ‘May Day’ which made it just a day. Just an ordinary day. But that was before…dum dum dum daa( suspense music playing)… I moved the car.

Here’s what you’ll need to relive my experience:
1. One whimsical uncle who has an understated death wish because he agrees to sit in the same car as a know-nothing-at-all driver.
2. One know-nothing-at-all-driver. (Me)
3. One half-asleep unsuspecting owner of the vehicle. (My dad)
4. One automatic car on death row.
5. An audience of kids who can go from overly depressed to overly enthusiastic in seconds.

Preparation: Sit know-nothing-at-all-driver with an audience of overly depressed kids. Know-nothing-at-all-driver will then instantly start wishing she can run/drive away. With this in mind, let know-nothing-at-all-driver approach whimsical uncle who after hearing know-nothing-it-all-driver’s story will say “Sure, I’ll teach you how to drive”. Let know-nothing-at-all and now-shaking-with-anticipation driver approach half asleep owner of the vehicle and ask for the keys and permission to drive. For best results say it really fast and insist that it’s whimsical uncle’s idea! Proceed to the car on death row to the cheers of overly enthusiastic kid audience.

Method: Get into the car and sit… wait it’s not what you think… sit in the front row passenger seat. You’re not ready for the coveted driving seat… yet!

Look towards uncle who will begin introducing you to the accelerator, brake, handbrake, and the stick that changes the gears. Watch as he uses them, nodding your head all along, mentally sticking out your tongue at him and thinking ‘I-knew-that-and-you-didn’t-have-to-tell-me’.

Stay alert for the words. “Ok… Now you try”

Proceed or better yet run to exchange places with whimsical uncle before a. he changes mind and b. half asleep vehicle owner gets up- two very real and threatening possibilities.

Look at self in the front view and side view mirrors and smile to match heightened level of euphoria.

Place hands on the steering wheel and remove instantly. You will not be using this as much as your childhood fantasies preconceived.

And why not?
Because all you will do is drive straight ahead for about 15 feet and then proceed to reverse for about 3 times.

Struggle with trying to move the handbrake, think “I am such a girl” and then find out that you should push the little button on top, pull it up slightly and then push it down to get moving.

Step on the accelerator to feel like you’re actually doing something. You should get a real kick out of this part. And then break for a few seconds ahead of hitting the kitchen wall which was what you were driving towards.

Repeat as much as whimsical uncle allows.

Horn as necessary on exit to the cheers of overly enthusiastic kid audience.

And there you have it: How I moved a car.

What was it like? Nothing short of incrrredible!

How was I as a driver? Well… It wasn’t a smooth ride but it wasn’t that bad. Based on whimsical uncle’s reprimands, I lack complete concentration. Well excuse me for wanting my first ride to be cool and not so much controlled. All his instructions were swirling about in my head and I had to sort out which one I had to use next and then make sure I knew what to do after that. There was a lot of thinking involved and the margin for error was so small it sorta scared me. But I guess with practice the technical stuff will come naturally and then you’ll have time to actually enjoy it more.

What I missed out on: Turning on the Ignition (which I know has ‘To-Do’ written all over it) and steering.

On the whole: Awesome with the hint of sadness considering all that there is to driving and how little I’ve done and know. But all that matters is that the experience counts and I can add ‘Drove a car’ to my list of accomplishments. And now that I’ve had a taste of what it’s like I definitely know I want to and can do this in the future.

Everyone needs recognition for his accomplishments, but few people make the need known quite as clearly as the little boy who said to his father, 'Let's play darts. I'll throw and you say, "Wonderful!" – Off Condensed Chicken Soup for the Soul

And that’s my motivation for the next time…