I’ve been on a quest to learn how to drive a standard car for almost a year now. My younger brother, a standard car owner, has been nice enough to teach me on his car and over time, I’ve learned how to do the basics in a parking lot, tried out country roads, and most recently, I’ve started to get comfortable with stopping and starting all over town.
Here’s the thing: I’m still terrified to see any other vehicles on the road.
Yeah, I know, it’s gonna happen. Other people do have cars and do like to get from point A to B, too.
But I dread anyone witnessing me stalling out. It’s mortifying.
So a few weekends ago, bro and I headed out into a residential area with the express intent to get me more comfortable with the “real” road.
I started slow, winding around empty residential streets, and was feeling pretty good.
Until a truck came up behind me.
I avoided stopping by veering left and right until I was confronted with the truth: either I have to stop in front of the dude and risk stalling out, or hope and pray he turns off at the next possible opportunity.
Lucky for me, dude went right when I went left.
Phew!
Not so lucky for me, I turned onto a steep incline and wasn’t able to shift gears on the hill.
I got stuck halfway up.
Left foot on the clutch, right foot on the break.
Palms sweating, knees knocking.
Brother laughing.
I tried getting up the hill with a bit of gas and a release of the clutch, but to no avail.
The engine started to, uh, smell.
Oops.
Brother still laughing.
Ten minutes later, I was in the same spot, perhaps a few inches backwards.
Frustrated and panicked, I didn’t know how to get up, and bro wasn’t giving away any hints.
This is where my stubborn need to finish what I started kicks in, matched only by the fear of wrecking the car.
(The smell of the engine lingered.)
So I made a decision.
I like to think that I found a creative solution, but I think the more accurate answer is that fear won out.
I rolled that car all the way back down the hill backwards and drove on in the other (flat) direction.
Ha!
I did give up on the hill, but not on the entire afternoon.
I drove all the way home, but according to my affable instructor I did stall a total of 17 times that day.
Next time it’ll be less, I am sure of it.
