Driving a stick -shift that is

It is time to stop dwelling on the unpleasant things that are happening in my life! Today is a day for remembering, and I am going to remember my dad and his teaching me to drive. When I began driving, you could get a "learner’s permit" when you were 14. I remember taking the drivers test right there in the cafeteria of my junior high school! Oh we thought we were really something.

When I was 14, my dad had a ‘53 Ford with light blue body with a dark blue top. I remember it so vividly. It was a standard shift, and I decided I really needed to know how to drive a standard shift. In those days, the emergency brake was similar to many that are out today meaning it was not foot operated. IT was called an umbrella brake I think because it resembled an umbrella handle. It extended from the floor board to the underside of the dash. You would pull the handle toward you, and the emergency brake was applied. To let it off, you twisted the handle to the right and let it go (or pushed - I don’t remember) back into place. All of this was located on the left side of the car, meaning away from the passenger.

San Antonio has many hills. My dad thought I should learn to drive the standard on the hills. OK! I was up for the challenge. We had one particularly steep hill in the neighborhood, and at the very top was a, gasp, stop sign. I got to the stop sign just fine. I stopped just fine. Then I had to try to let off the brake while letting out the clutch while applying just enough gasoline - not too little, not too much - to get through the intersection. What a disaster.

After killing the engine several times, Dad suggested I pull out the emergency brake so at least I wouldn’t roll all the way back down the hill. That sounded like a plan. Except then I had to add letting out the emergency brake slowly also. This was a true test of my coordination. I really thought I would spend the rest of my life at that intersection.

I did finally make it, and had great pride in myself, but to this day I get really nervous if I am in a standard transmission car and have to stop on a hill.

Thank you Daddy for all your patience. I appreciated it then, but I more fully understand it now.