Learning to drive... at age 41!

...I've had many a misadventure in the past few months while learning to drive at the almost semi-ripe age of 41! Shocking, yes, I know but believe me there are still women out there like me who don't drive. When I tell people my 'dirty little secret' they are literally awestruck and but I'm not alone. I come from a family who's Mom never drove, my neighbour didn't drive, a few friends of mine don't drive and when you I share my noncompliance with the norm...others just like me crawl out of the woodwork!

Really though, NOT driving hasn't been the worst thing that hasn't happened to me in my life. In fact you can't miss what you've never had so, experiencing the freedom that those who drive brag about isn't something I've ever missed. I get my jollies by going for a walk, riding my bike, taking a cab and even public transit is an experience in itself. Not that the last two options are overly exciting and the taxi business gets rather pricey but eh, whats a girl to do with her arm full of shopping bags, it's -20 and home is five blocks away...'taxi!'

So, this is how the story goes I've had my learners license 4 times now, yes 4 but I just have never grown the set I need to take me to the next level. I get this sort of panicked feeling that washes over me and I can't seem to shake it. Not that I haven't driven mind you 'cause I have, just not enough to gain the confidence I need, at least in my opinion. But now, I'm 41 and living in an area where the nearest bus stop is 2.5 miles away and the bus ride itself takes an hour to get to the mall or anywhere else intriguing and with that normally taking only 10 minutes by car that is a huge...ouch!! Time is a factor and at my age and I just don't want to waste anymore time, it's far to precious. Not only that but, I want my freedom, the freedom to go where I want, when I want for as long as I want...uh, duh blondie (that's me talking to me) it's time to remove the noose from your neck and dive in, there will be NO more dickin' around!

My other challenge at this stage of my life is that the only vehicle I have access to is a standard. That's a manual transmission ladies, a stick or stick shift. The knobby thing that gets in the way when you're trying to snuggle your man. The thing that forces you to sit cockeyed and half sideways!? So, not only am I learning the rules of the road as a driver (not the back seat non-licensed yappy thing sitting beside the actual driver again) but, I also have to learn the ropes of a third pedal (the clutch) and the big H (the gear shift)!

How do you say sweaty, white knuckled, blonde lady behind is a comin'...well, you just look for the big red L on the back of my SUV and say nothing (please) just bite your tongue and be patient, we all have had to learn at some point, right!?

Yesterday for example, I stalled on a left hand turn in the middle of the freakin' intersection and missed the light. Another time, coming up the hill too slowly for 3rd gear the dang thing stalled on me and I had to get 'er going again or just sit there all red faced and scared...7 tries later I got us up the hill. Those were my two most recent and I needn't go into the jerky motioned whip lash scenes that occur or the stalling because I forget to put in the clutch when I braked, or how I hate it when the vehicle begins to roll down hill and there is a cliff right behind me...whew, nerve wracking to say the least but I'm gonna do it and when I get it, when I finally clue in to how the whole works I'm sure I'll just love it, right lol! right!?