Driving, In a Small Town, & My Kids Drive

Me Driving
I've wanted to drive since as far back as I can remember.  I suppose it's an underlying need for control.  Control of my situation, and in some cases other people's situations.

In the beginning my mad driving skills were as a backseat driver.  Not the kind that tells you what to do, or how to do it...But, by mimicking my parents driving. (Possibly the reason I have the lead foot?) Sad truth, I can remember making the 'shifting' sound in my head first, and then later on as I matured as a backseat driver, I made the sounds aloud.  Okay, now you're really going to think I've lost it!

But I was born pre-pretend steering wheels with all of the bells and whistles (and yes I too succumbed to purchase one of these puppies for some of my children & yes, I just said 'some'...and the 'others' who didn't get one of those will some day tell me I favor the one's that did...and so forth and so on...I get it.)  Here's a fine example of what I purchased for my kiddos (below)

As you may know I grew up in a rural town on the coast in Northern California.  There some of the main income sources for our town was that of the Lumber Mill, and the Fishing Industry.  Most if not all of our parents worked in the woods, at the mill, on a boat, at the dock...or around those areas of industry.  If they didn't they worked in areas that supported the industries, like insurance, bait and tackle, machinery, mechanics, auto parts~ Basically it was a booming little town of hub-bub. 

Mine?  My Dad worked in the mill, and my Grandpa worked out in the woods.  My Grandpa ran lots of different types of equipment, and the most dominant one was the 'Loader'.  While working in the woods he would load the big ass logs that filled the Logging Trucks, to bring to the mill, to be milled, and turned into lots of different things-Nothing seemed to get wasted, anything that could make a buck, would be turned into something for some green stuff.  Not to be confused with 'Going Green"...I meant what I said..."Turned into something for the green stuff, meaning money."  This is what a load looked like when I was a kid.

I can remember counting the logs to see if it was a 'big' load or a 'small' load.  My how the loads changed in my lifetime there...they went from 2-3 log loads, to toothpicks and you couldn't count them passing by...

No matter what the load, there was a time when we'd go out and cut wood for our families.  My Grandpa or my Dad would head out, and I was the oldest, so I would go as well.  It would mean that I would have a packed lunch, a jug of water, and my imagination.  I would hike around, explore, and feel the sun on my face (it it was sunny-which it usually was to some degree, because we'd head 'inland' a bit and sun was always right around the corner.  But, rarely at home.)  It was fun.  Yes, I got bored from time to time, but it wasn't a choice.  The chainsaw would be blasting, and nobody could hear if I said I was bored, or hungry...so, I'd have to figure it out.  I found bugs I'd never seen before, I got bit by things.  I found berries and learned which ones were good to eat and which ones weren't.  I also found out not to eat too many, because a tummy ache was no fun out in the woods.  I laid down in the bed of the truck before the chunks of wood were thrown in...I laid across the truck seat and listened, and dreamt, and thought about whatever might have crossed my mind.  I looked for animals, and their tracks...I made things. I walked with walking sticks.  I tried to find flowers.   All in all, it doesn't sound like a lot of fun...But, I sure liked going.  One benefit to going was that by the time I was 9 years old, I was told that if there were an accident, I'd have to know how to get back home to tell someone, and get help.  I'd like to think now, that I could have gotten back in an emergency situation, but in all reality, I would of cried and crashed myself!  That's why I could never be a nurse, even though everyone thought I'd be a good one.  So, I drove.  I couldn't even reach the pedals!  Or see over the steering wheel!  But, I wanted to sooooo bad, that I figured it all out.  I was on top of the world! (Or should I say woods?)  I was also allowed to go and drive out 'ten mile', in the Bug.  Both vehicles were a stick shift and so the clutch, patience, and a sheer will to be successful were all on my side.  That's not to say that there wasn't a lot of yelling, crying, and near crashing while learning...But, I got to be a pretty good driver-Very young.  I've always felt fortunate, because who gets to do that?  I mean on the roads and stuff.  Sure out on a farm...But, driving in the woods, and out where you came across other drivers - I just thought and still remember how fun it was.  I can recall passing people and of course I didn't do that two fingered wave of acknowledgement that my Grandpa did, or the near the forehead half wave my Dad threw out...I was too concerned about crashing into another vehicle, and getting into trouble!  It was worse if we had to stop and talk to them, that meant I had to not pop the clutch when leaving the conversation!  I wanted to make either my Dad or Grandpa proud of me! 

There was a time, it's so crystal clear in my memory-too crystal clear for that matter.  I was able at 12 to take my Grandmother's 69 Chevy Impala, by myself down the road.  I'd of done this for at least a year now, and didn't have any challenges.  It was an automatic for heavens sake!  I'm practically a pro driver!  So, I drove up and down and back and forth, got to go out on the 'big' road too!  I was headed back in for one of my last tools around and a car was headed my direction on the single lane road.  Now why the heck I did the next thing I'm about to share, I have no idea!  But, I without confidence moved to the opposite side of the road to 'pull over' for the on coming car.  Why? Again, I don't know...So, as I pulled over I uh, struck a mailbox.  Not any old mailbox, but a metal one with a sharp edge.  What did I do then?  Uh, no I didn't stop...I kept driving very slowly and pulling more into the mailbox to be sure to get out of the way of the stinking oncoming car....!!!!!!!!!  After I went around, let's say 4 feet.  I stopped.  I tried to dislodge the mailbox, and I couldn't.  The gouge that I put in the car was all the way to the metal!  Well, I had to go face my maker, my Grandmother.  I knew she was watching something like 'One Life to Live' or her favorite 'All My Children'.  Great!  So, I got back into my rig and slowly gouged out the rest of the side of the car, as I removed myself from the current situation.  My heart was racing.  I couldn't breathe...and in usual fashion when I'd done something wrong, I went in and asked my Grandma to come outside for a minute.  Keep in mind it was in the morning-late morning.  She came out, I had parked the car not in it's usual parking spot, and brought her around to see the damage.  Let's just say a lot of words like this *7%$#2&%#$@$*&*(&%^&&^*&^?><@#$#@&* came out of her mouth, along with my name, at a volume I'm sure was heard 'into next week'.  She told me I had to sit on the porch and wait for my Grandpa to come home, he'd handle it.  I sat on the porch, and waited, and waited, and waited for my impending doom.  I would probably have to go and get the belt out of the drawer, like my cousins always got.  I'd never had gotten one of those yet.  Today was going to be the day I got it.  It was going to hurt so bad!  I will never be able to drive again!  They will never trust me.  I would probably have to go home, and not spend the night now!  Hours passed by and my imagination brought all sorts of torture my way.  I heard my Grandpa's truck coming before it even got to the road...then I saw him turn in his driveway...He got out and asked why Grandma's car was where it was, remember I parked it not in it's usual parking spot?...I took one deep breath, probably my last and brought him over to the side where the gouge was.  He took one look at it and said, "Who did this? You?"  I answered holding back the tears and said, "Me, yah it was me."  I held my breath for what seemed like forever...and what he said next I did not expect.  He said, "For payment for the damage, you need to wash my truck."  What???? Wash his truck?  "Okay, and what else."  He said, "God dammit to hell, did you hear me?  I said wash my truck!"  (I wish you could hear his voice as he had said that...)  I went to wash the truck immediately.  I finished some time afterwards, and went to him and asked what else?  He said to me, "Now sit down and eat your dinner."  I was so confused, what just happened?  I just crashed his car, and I washed his truck in repayment...and now I'm going to eat dinner?  I walked around on pins and needles for the remainder of my stay.  I didn't know what to do?  Was he mad at me?  What was he doing, thinking of more punishment?  We never spoke of it again, he and I.  Now as for my Grandmother?  She brought it up any chance she got, and also said I got away with it.  No matter how I think of that story...it makes me smile to this day.  In retrospect, I'm sure I punished myself those hours sitting there waiting for him to come home...more than he actually implemented a punishment.  (...And you were wondering where I was going with the whole lumber mill/fishing thing.)

Drivers Ed
I was the only girl in a car with the Hott Drivers Ed teacher, and two boys.  I don't remember who the boys were...Wait, I do and I won't out them in this blog...cause they were horrid drivers!  Since I had been driving for 'years' by the time I got to actual Drivers Ed, I was comfortable behind the wheel.  I had spent hours upon hours on a dirtbike, and as many times possible for driving behind the wheel of an automobile by then...the clutch was not a problem for me.  Reverse, parking, turns, I could do it like the best of them.  So, the first day of Drivers Ed the Hott Instructor (Hott wasn't even a word 'back then'...but, you get the picture.) asks us who has driven before, I was the only one in the car other than the instructor who had.  Which meant I got to drive first.  I was happy about that, seriously boys think they do everything better at that age, and I was living proof that there are some things girls can do better...like drive.  (Insert wink here.)  So, every stinking day of the class, I drove first and got to drive the longest!  I didn't hit a curb. I was able to parallel park.  I could park on a hill.  I merged just fine. I obeyed all of the signals and signs...I felt pretty darn good.  It wasn't long before the hott instructor would make comments about their driving, and about if they were going to let a girl out do them in the class.  Needless to say, I did - up until the last day of class.  We were headed out to Main Street, and had to make a right turn, following a stop at the red light.  When it was okay to proceed onto Main, I did but I failed to give enough space between the curb and my back tire...the car cheered!  Those two boys got out that morning, and were on top of the world!  I saw them in the halls and they laughed, and joked around - finally they had what they needed, even if it was the last day.  Another funny memory...about driving to think back on.  And ladies if you had the hott instructor, you know who I'm talking about and probably took woodshop and drafting because of him.

I'm a Parent Now
Being a parent of two student drivers puts me in a different seat when talking about driving!  I'd like to think that I'm a patient, calm, and aware parent who doesn't yell or freak out when their kids are driving.  One of my children thinks that statement is true, and the other thinks the exact opposite.  One of them is over confident, and the other lacks behind the wheel confidence.  The funny thing about that is that the one you'd think would be confident, isn't.  The one who you'd match with lack of confidence driving, has far too much!  It just goes to show you that you can never tell what they're going to be like in new situations.  I'm telling you, it's crazy!  One doesn't want music on as a distraction, and the other actually reaches over and turns on the music AND sings along, and wants to change the stations!  One wants to drive at a turtles pace, while the other is definitely the rabbit!  One recites the laws and obeys them.  The other wants to know why that law is the way it is, because "that's just dumb".  I can't wait for that ticket!  One doesn't want their license and the other wanted theirs yesterday!  All in all, it's gone well...and to think that there are more to come...I'm sure there will be more personality shown with each passing experience. 


Today I ask you to remember your learning to drive experience...and laugh a lil.


Love Deeply, Live Out Loud, & Live your Dash,
T






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