Driving

I had to drive today, something that always makes me slightly nervous. We don't own a car, and I only have my drivers license since three years or so, so lack of practice and experience tend to make me anxious in the car. Something I try desperately to hide from the people we borrow a car from, as I'm sure they would feel a huge amount of trepidation about loaning me the car if they knew how nervous I was!
I'll never forget my first drive after getting my license. Optimist that I was, I decided to visit my brother who lived about a 45 minute drive away. The drive would include driving in a residential area, driving on the freeway, and driving on some country roads. A nice mix for getting some real experience! So I loaded the kids in the car and got on the road.
Let me tell you, it was a nerveracking experience. I only made it through by the grace of God and the calmness of my then 13 year old daughter. She remained calm, quiet and encouraging while I became more and more tense and even terrified at times. The problem was that the car I drove in was a car that drove on gas. The car I learned how to drive in drove on diesel. That car kept driving whether I had my foot on the pedal or not. This car SHUT DOWN!!! every time I came to a stop. And I had to stop so often!! It was really a nightmare. Every stoplight I approached I prayed would turn to green immediately so I wouldn't have to stop. And when I did stop and the engine shut down it sometimes took me two or three times to get my engine going again. Can you imagine how aweful I felt? I knew I HAD to drive home, there was no other option, but I felt like jumping out of the car and walking home, weeping and wailing the whole way. I finally made it home, to a husband who looked at me askance, seriously doubting my driving skills.
The one thing that I did do though, was get right back in the car the next day and drive again. I knew that if I didn't I would probably never drive again, I'm really not kidding. And part of me had a really good gloat when the engine of the car shut down when my husband was driving a couple of days later. It was a very consoling moment!