From The Past: December 14, 2007

I don’t remember practicing to drive until I was 16. I didn’t actually get my license until I was 17 though. It wasn’t because I wasn’t allowed; I simply wasn’t interested and had no need to drive. My parents took me to work and picked me back up. Life was easy.

Driving isn’t hard for me; however, I don’t parallel park. I would if I could be sure that no one would be waiting behind me for me to finish, but you can never guarantee that. If another car is waiting on me on a busy street, it only makes me nervous, so I won’t attempt it.

I can only drive an automatic. I never learned how to drive a stick shift and I have absolutely no desire to do so. Why would you want to drive a stick when an automatic is so easy?

I have a Saturn which is paid for. This is the second Saturn we have owned. We have had a very positive experience with them.

As far as car accidents go, I have been in two. The first one was when I was 17 and my boyfriend was driving. I can honestly say that it was not his fault. It wasn’t anything major; only a fender-bender. The second wreck was bad. Kevin was driving and we were headed home on a busy road. A man was in the oncoming lane stopped and waiting for us to drive by so he could make a left-hand turn into his driveway. The sun was shining in another driver’s eyes who was driving up behind the stopped vehicle and he never even saw that the man was stopped. He ran into the man in front of him going around 55 MPH. The man, who had been stopped, had already turned his wheels to the left, so when he was rear-ended, his car came barreling into us. Kevin’s car (a Mazda which he LOVED) was totaled. We were extremely sore and had horrible bruising from our seat belts. I am very thankful we were wearing them though or we could have gone through a window. As it was, when this happened I was rifling through the glove box, so when we wrecked, I jammed my knee into it.

That wreck taught me a valuable lesson though: you should never turn the wheels of your car in the direction you want to go until you are actually able to turn. If that man’s wheels had been straight when he was hit, he would not have hit us.

The only things I know about my car are how to check the oil and put more oil in and how to put gas in the tank. I do not know how to change a tire. Isn’t that why we have cell phones?

Driving at night is not a pleasant experience for me. I feel very disadvantaged and like to use my high beams whenever possible. It annoys me when other drivers refuse to dim their headlights, thus blinding me. It’s just rude. Anyway, I am always afraid I will meet a deer. Too many drivers and deer have died on a road we frequently travel. I don’t blame the deer though. We have built so much; they don’t know where to go where they can live without us intruding.

The longest trip I have ever taken by car was from Kentucky to Florida. I can sincerely say that I don’t remember much of the ride though. Both times I have been to Florida were with my parents, so my dad always drove.

The nine-hour drive to Parris Island, South Carolina should be interesting. I thought it was a long drive when we traveled three hours to Gatlinburg. I cannot even fathom nine. Kevin will drive the entire way since it is all on the interstate. I will probably cry once or twice, maybe even three times on the way. I panic and don’t enjoy one minute of it. If we had the money, I would fly to avoid a nine-hour road trip and that’s saying a lot since I have never flown!