The First Time I Ever Drove

I was with my dad. I was 15 and we were on our way to a basketball game in Williamson. He had just pulled onto the new 4 lane when all of a sudden he pulled over and said, "Drive!"

I looked at him and said, "huh" It never even had entered my mind that it was time for me to learn to drive. In one terror filled moment I thought 'I don't even know where the gas pedal is.'

He got out of the car and came around to my side and opened the door and said, "Scoot over."

Of course I got all nervous and as I was sliding over to the driver's seat he was reassuring me the whole time not to be scared. He walked me through each step and I pulled out onto the highway. At first I was afraid to go over 20 or 30 mph and he kept urging me a little faster. (the basketball game was about 60 miles away so I had plenty of time to get used to things) Finally I got up to 55 mph (which was the speed limit back then) but I NEVER DID TAKE MY FOOT OFF OF THE BRAKE! He told me that was OK until I got used to everything.

Cars were passing us and I could see other driver's staring at me. (probably because the brakes were on and we were doing 50 mph!) But I lived through it and it was one of the best thrills of my life.

The last time I visited with my mom, she told me a similiar story. She and my dad were on their way home and he pulled into the Driver's Licence place and told her to go in and take the test. She protested saying she wasn't ready - like me, she hadn't even thought about driving. He told her to just take the test to see what was on it and then she could study and pass the next time.

She said if she had only missed one less question she would have passed. The next week she took the test and passed. Then they took her out to drive - she wasn't prepared for that either. The instructor told her that if she made it around the block without any mishaps then he would pass her - she did it!