1st drive

Today May 1, 2013, Elisabeth is 15years and 6 month old which means she can get her Learner's permit for driving, it will be this weekend or later before she does though. But it got me thinking about the day that I got my learner's, my Dad took me, I don't remember the date or day that I got it but I do remember the experience after. As we are walking out of the DMV he hands me the Keys, now I've only driven a riding lawnmower and a 4 wheeler before, never a car. so I look at him with a funny face and say "What?"
He answers back "Don't you want to learn to drive"
"well of course I do but..."
"No but's you can drive home"

Ok wow! I thought this is not bad, my dad is cool. Little did I know that he was going to take the LOOOOOOONG way home. It started off ok going in the direction that I was familiar with, but then as we came to a intersection I was told by him to get in the left lane and turn left.
I said "Home is to the right"
he said "I thought you wanted to learn to drive?"
"I do."
"Then turn to the left"
So I did, As I was making the turn I remembered that going this way only lead to I95, "Oh Shit!" I thought, cause I would never say that in front of my dad.

So as I was driving along sure enough he tells me to follow the on ramp to the interstate. Now this was afternoon rush hour traffic, in the D.C. area, we lived in a little bedroom community/Town called Dale City, it is now famous because the Potomac Mills Mall is there. but then it was just getting started. About a mile from the exit that I had gotten on I95 from is a Truck Weigh Station, so I am now only about 15 mins (if that) into my first driving lesson and I'm in rush hour traffic that is moving and doesn't want a Slow poke messing things up. and I have all these Truckers trying to get in my lane the right slow one because they have to stop at the weigh station. and then to add the cherry on top of it all... it starts to rain and not a little sprinkle but a full down pour. I had no clue as to how to even take my hands off the wheel to turn on the wippers if I had even known where the switch was, because I had a death grip on the steering wheel. My dad had to reach over and turn them on for me because I was afraid I was going to mess my pants if it did anything other than drive.

I'm happy to say that 27 +/-yrs later I can pretty much drive in the DC area with out having a death grip on the wheel, and big trucks don't scare me anymore. I now drive a Big School bus and can even parallel park it if I have to, not a fun thing but I've done it.

Been there, done that, and starting a new adventure with my Daughter.