My poor, dear, wonderful husband...I'm pretty sure I almost made him cry today...I know I did (when my brain translated the sternness in his voice into "yelling" at me). Today was Jeep Session #2: My-4-year-old-knows-how-to-drive-stick-better-than-I-do. I was so excited for my chance this week to prove to myself (and hubby) that I am capable of driving a manual transmission. All I needed was a few reminders of when to push what & I was ready....Until I realized I still don't know what I was doing...
Hubby decided that I was clearly not capable of pulling out of our apartment complex without stalling, so he drove us to a partially secluded location he deemed appropriate for this week's sanity check. He feels that dirt is a more forgiving surface (when I stall out) for me to practice on, so we ended up on a really hilly (is that a word?? a road with really big hills) street back behind our complex.
This lesson entailed learning how to shift gears and the difference between the usage of the brake and clutch (we left things a little sketchy last week). Needless to say, my grade was in the D-F range. Last week I was instructed to let the clutch go quickly. This week I found out there was a such thing as "too quickly"...All of this information seems like a lot to grasp, remember and execute correctly.
As I was navigating the poor, defenseless jeep up and down the terrain, my four-year-old kept shouting instructions from the back seat, "Don't die, Mommy!" (I guess I've been too verbal about accidentally killing everyone while learning this feat), "Push down on the clutch!", "Give it gas!". I actually started to listen to his voice until I realized he had no idea what he was talking about. It gave me a sense of direction since my instructor in the passenger seat had grown quiet (probably conjuring up false reasons for me to not drive the jeep again). Once I realized what I was doing, I asked JR if Josiah's instructions were correct. To my dismay, they weren't. Oh, well. He's only four....
Learning to drive stick has definitely given me a deeper appreciation for the wonderful person who invented the automatic transmission. It has also made me more aware of how I handle driving my (wonderfully automatic) vehicle. Someday (hopefully soon) I aim to master the feat of driving a manual transmission. Until then, my poor husband will probably lose his mind as he tries to patiently teach his silly blond wife the foundations of driving stick.
Hubby decided that I was clearly not capable of pulling out of our apartment complex without stalling, so he drove us to a partially secluded location he deemed appropriate for this week's sanity check. He feels that dirt is a more forgiving surface (when I stall out) for me to practice on, so we ended up on a really hilly (is that a word?? a road with really big hills) street back behind our complex.
This lesson entailed learning how to shift gears and the difference between the usage of the brake and clutch (we left things a little sketchy last week). Needless to say, my grade was in the D-F range. Last week I was instructed to let the clutch go quickly. This week I found out there was a such thing as "too quickly"...All of this information seems like a lot to grasp, remember and execute correctly.
As I was navigating the poor, defenseless jeep up and down the terrain, my four-year-old kept shouting instructions from the back seat, "Don't die, Mommy!" (I guess I've been too verbal about accidentally killing everyone while learning this feat), "Push down on the clutch!", "Give it gas!". I actually started to listen to his voice until I realized he had no idea what he was talking about. It gave me a sense of direction since my instructor in the passenger seat had grown quiet (probably conjuring up false reasons for me to not drive the jeep again). Once I realized what I was doing, I asked JR if Josiah's instructions were correct. To my dismay, they weren't. Oh, well. He's only four....
Learning to drive stick has definitely given me a deeper appreciation for the wonderful person who invented the automatic transmission. It has also made me more aware of how I handle driving my (wonderfully automatic) vehicle. Someday (hopefully soon) I aim to master the feat of driving a manual transmission. Until then, my poor husband will probably lose his mind as he tries to patiently teach his silly blond wife the foundations of driving stick.
It's fun to teach stick. The key is finding a car that you don't mind being rough with! :)
ReplyDeleteyeah, hubby said he's not too worried about me ruining the jeep-its and '85 & pretty beat ;)
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