Drivers Ed

We all remember the first time we drove a vehicle for the first time. We all remember those times in drivers ed when the instructor had a brake pedal so they could slam on the brakes if you did something wrong. The intimidation of the old lady or man sitting in the passenger seat was unbearable. If you went a mile an hour over the speed limit, they would tell you to slow down.

I would like to tell you a story of my own from drivers ed, one which scared me so much that I nearly peed my pants. Not because I almost died, but because I didn't want to fail the test on the last day.

I was driving on the highway at about 65 mph and it was about time for me to switch with the student who was riding with me. My instructor, who happened to be a driving Hitler, told me to pull off at a rest stop to change. So I pulled off using my blinker and everything. I pulled into a parking spot, turned off the car, put the emergency brake on, and took my seat belt off. But before I could get out of the car, I got a stare that told me to stay seated. She informed me that I did not turn my blinker on when I turned into my parking spot. Apparently, according to her, I can get a ticket for this. I was scared out of my mind!

Why do I tell you this story? Because I was more nervous than after that moment this evening. We were pulling out of the church in Tote after handbells. Randy stopped and called me up to drive. The van is a stick, which I know how to drive. Nothing was different. I am just 7000 miles away from home. I guess thats why I was so nervous. I sat stiff as a board for a full thirty minutes while I drove part of the way back to Oradea. Laugh all you want, it was probably a pretty funny sight to see. But I drove, I didn't kill anyone, or anything!