Discover Yourself - How, when, and where did you learn to drive?

Years ago, I gathered up hundreds of journal prompts and put them on labels and into a cute little box for my "Discovery Journal Prompts". I would then, put my hand into the box and pull out a label at random and that would be the perfect prompt for me for that particular day. Great plans, right???

I haven't done a thing with them since...until now! Welcome to my Discovery Journal Prompt! If you'd like a badge to put on your page, please go here.

Here's today's...

How, when, and where did you learn to drive?

Even though this is not a really "deep" or internal subject, I was delighted when this prompt came up because my learning to drive is, what I think, a funny story.

We have a cottage property about 2.5 hours southwest of the city I live in and we spent every weekend and any holiday there from May to October every year when I was growing up.  We started going there when I was about 6 or 7 and so a lot of my history happened there.  One of the major things was my learning to drive.

Like most people, I am a people watcher and I learn a lot by watching what other people do--either to do what they are doing or not.  I used to love to watch my father drive from the backseat where us kids would be sitting.  And my father was a good driver.  I could hardly wait until I could learn to drive.  I am the youngest of three children, two older boys, and I'm the youngest by 5 years so it seemed like an eternity until "my" turn came.

So...I decided not to wait until I was 16 and one day when I was 14 and my parents were out for their daily walk after supper, a friend and I decided to take the car out for a drive.  Now, our cottage is on a road with a base of shale so it's very slippery and gravel is added on top.  When the gravel is new the pebbles disperse under feet and tires pretty easily and our cottage property is on the bottom of a VERY steep hill...

Well...Jay and I jumped in the car, she would drive down the hill and turn around and I would drive back up and we'd park the car and no one would know the difference, right?  The plan was working fine until I started to go uphill and found the tires spinning, and spinning, and smoke coming from the back of the car, and the car felt like it was just going closer to the ditch and I was getting scared, and then I looked up at the top of the hill and there were my parents, walking down...

Busted!  I turned the car off where it was and started walking up the hill with my head bent down knowing I was in deep, deep trouble--and deserved it.  My father walked passed me and said "wait in the cabin".  Jay and I went to the cabin with my mom and we sat there waiting for my father to come in and give the punishment--whatever that would be.  When he finally came in, he sat down and looked at us and asked what happened?  I told him how I thought I'd be able to drive the car and I didn't mean to cause any trouble and how sorry I was.  Well...then he surprised the heck out of me and asked, "how do you think you did?"

I shakily answered, "fine, until I got stuck".  And my dad laughed and that's when I found out about car gears and new gravel.  My parents must have talked after that because they decided that I should learn how to drive properly and both of them would take turns taking me on the old farmers roads in the area of our cottage property to show me how to drive.  And they taught me how to drive up steep hills with fresh gravel.  I am really grateful for them for letting me learn so early. 

At 16, I got my learner's permit with my first attempt, although I missed some items and was in the "grey zone" where I could have passed or failed, the driving instructor told me I was a strong driver and could tell I was just nervous.

I haven't stopped driving since.  Driving to me is one place I feel the freest, especially on the highway.  I have a sense of control, and know I am a very, very good driver in many different road conditions.  I've had my share of accidents, and speeding tickets (okay, I do love to drive fast too), but it's been over 20 years since either of those has happened, thankfully.

Thanks for reading!!
C.