I was driving my car the other day and had yet another revelation. I know, I have 'em all the time. But listen, I was driving and became aware of how far I've come with driving a car with a manual transmission.
When I first learned how to drive stick, I was of course nervous and uncomfortable. There were so many things I had to do. I really had to pay attention. How in the hell was I going to drive this thing AND pay attention the road?! My first time out, I freaked and got too nervous. I just didn't trust myself enough, so I bought an automatic.
Then years later, I had no choice but to drive a stick because it was the only car available for me to drive.
I wasn't used to all the coordination skill that it took. But I got in and drove.
At first, I had to constantly watch the RPM's so that I would know when to shift and when to put the clutch in. I was a mess. I have no idea how I made it through, but I did. At certain points, I almost surrendered to public transportation. But I didn't.
After a while, I was able to watch the road a bit more and the RPM gauge a bit less because I could now 'hear' when the car needed to be switched into a different gear and when I needed to downshift. It made it hard to have the music up though. I started to feel like my mother. I needed the radio down to drive the car. Hmmm. If she didn't know where she was going, she would turn the raido down and tell me to be quiet. I never understood that.
Anyway, I noticed the other day after years of driving a stick, that I can have the radio turned up AND have my eyes in the road because now I don't have to 'look' at the RPM's and I don't have to 'listen' to the RPM's, I can now just 'feel' when I need to switch gears. Yes, I have become one with the car.
I just thought it was kind of funny when I noticed how far I had come and how much I had learned to trust myself when driving a manual transmission. That at first, it was scary and uncomfortable, but with time and practice, things slowly changed and I didn't even know it. Not until, it occurred to me how at ease I am when I drive a stick shift.
I know, it may sound silly to some of you, but I could relate that experience to so many things in my life. Even in my relationships with people.
Upon meeting someone, we go by looks. Shut up! You know you do. Then after a while, we really start to listen to them as we get to know them and then we can just 'feel' them. ;) Like when something's off or out of sorts with them.
Okay, I'm going to stop while I'm ahead. This may not make any sense to some of you and for that I apologize, but ya know how I am with my revelations. I have to share them with you.
Until next time,
~Live Happy
I drove a stick for a thousand years. Even with bad knees. Now I drive an automatic. Let me tell you what, as soon as I get some cash scraped together, I'm going back to a stick. I hate that the car is driving and not me. I like to be in control.
ReplyDeleteOh, does that 'say' something about my type-A personality or what?
What a timely post. I had to drive a stick today for the first time in a couple of years. I had no problems with the shifting but remembering to shift was another thing!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't want to drive one permanently, though. There is just too much traffic to sit in with my leg pressing that clutch.
I agree that we go by looks first. But thank goodness most of us are able to dig deeper.
One thing I learned is, not all sticks are the same! I've driven many stick-shifts. The two best were the 280Z my husband had and the Nissan Altima I had. The worst? The Geo Tracker and Ford Ranger. Ugh! I'm just glad they weren't mine to drive often.
ReplyDeleteOf course now I love my automatic. I hope I never have to own another stick.