Anyway, I remember when was 5 or 6 years old my Dad would let me sit on his lap and drive our old mint green Ford LTD. That car had no business being labeled a "car". BOAT would have been more appropriate. Anyway, he'd let me sit on his lap and drive our back road home. I thought that was the coolest. But eventually Dad was just getting in the way. I needed my space! I was 6! I needed my freedom! So I'm sure I pestered the heck out of him to drive the next few years...
I got a little older, maybe 12 years old, and Dad would let me drive in an empty parking lot. SUCCESS!! Behind my Dad's office was a big empty lot that I had to myself. I'd go out there, adjust the mirrors for 13 minutes, pull forward, back up, pull forward, back up, over and over. I'd practice and re-practice parking, and then of course, drive laps around the lot, speeding up to a whopping 27 mph. That felt fast enough when I was 12. I was in heaven. I'd turn the radio up, Whitesnake would be on the classic rock station. Time out though! I have to pull over so I can manually roll the windows down. Ahhh, I miss the 80's. It was a simpler time, wasn't it?
Then I got a little smarter. 15 years old. It was time to get serious. I was going to be getting my license soon. I needed to be prepared. I love driving. Driving is the coolest. I NEED to drive. And of course, cue the dramatics of a ridiculously silly 15 year old girl. Like, I have to totally practice driving. It is so unfair that I can't get my license now. 15 is only 1 year away from 16 and I am like SUCH a good driver. This is probably the most important thing I will ever do in my entire life!!!!!! And I am so over driving in the stupid parking lot. Who drives in a parking lot anyway?? Let's just ask Dad if I can drive his nice fancy company car... he's pretty cool about stuff, he'll probably say yes...
Me-"Dad, can I drive your car around the block?"
Dad-"No."
BARNICLES!!! What to do, what to do? Lightbulb! I know! I'll ask my friend Janelle- 10 years my senior.
Me-"Janelle, can I drive your car down to the 7-11 and back?"
Janelle- (Throws me her keys) "Don't wreck."
SCORE!!! I love driving!!
*Of course, things were different back then, even 15 years ago. So as a sidenote to all children who do NOT have their license yet- do.not.drive.until.it's.legal. The end.
So then, turning 16 was bliss, license in hand, I drove anywhere and everywhere, any chance I got. My best friend Shannon could have cared less about driving so I toted us both all over the east coast. (A blog about those adventures to come...). And the love affair with driving continued all through my teen years, well into college, marriage, right up until I got pregnant with Hunter...
Let me tell you, I gained a cool 60 lbs when I was pregnant with Hunter. By my last trimester I looked like bloated Elvis and I could barely fit behind the wheel of my Sunfire. This is when I started to hate driving. Not only could I not fit behind the wheel, but I could barely push in the clutch because my once thin, bony feet had turned into fat, plump sausages. Driving was starting to become somewhat of an annoyance. And was it just me, or was everyone's driving habits becoming worse??? I began to dread driving anywhere- it was just such a hassle! I remember a few times going out during the summer and the warm breeze would be blowing through the car, a great tune on the stereo, and thinking- why don't I do this more often? All it took was for me to get stuck behind an Amish Buggy going 11.5 mph uphill for me to change my tune. I blame my bitterness at that time on hormones though... Yes, the hormones made me do it.
And of course, when you have a little newborn in your vehicle, you suddenly become the World's Most Cautious and Safe Driver and no one, NO ONE, can drive safe enough around you. I'm very upfront and honest and don't hold much back and that surely did not waiver once I had my kids. Let me paint you a picture...
So yes, I think that phase is past now that I'm not pregnant and my children are older. All of you in Indiana County can rest easy. I will not be terrorizing your streets anymore.
I think one of the funniest things EVER on the road is the camaraderie with other vehicles- ones which you have no inkling as to who is in them. Some jerk is driving like a maniac and like magic you and 7 other vehicles ban together to teach him a lesson. He is swerving in and out, cutting people off one after the other, and all of a sudden we become a moving swat team- driving like stuntmen to lock him in a lane- leaving him unable to pass anyone else. Frustrated he gets off an exit and everyone left nods and smiles at one another in approval. Mission accomplished friends. Farewell...
And, of course, the guy who drives by everyone at a dangerous speed (where's the fire buddy?) and 20 mins later you're still driving along and boom, Mario Andretti got pulled over by a cop. HA! I always slow down and smile and wave as I pass them. Moron.
Ahhh, good times. And just for good measure- the guy in the gray car is Jeremy (serves you right!!). So aside from hating sitting in traffic, driving in icy conditions, and the never ending Dr. appt trip- I find cruising around quite fun. I could go on and on with some amusing anecdotes of my driving... but I see this post is already getting lengthy. So I'll stop for now....
But how about some feedback this time- What do you love about driving? What do you hate?
Look right. Look left. Look right again.
Lauren
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