the stick

I think it is about time to confess. It is amazing I never absolutely ruined my sister's car when I was eighteen (but I probably did some internal damage that no one ever found out about).

So each summer in college I went to my sister's house outside Portland and played nanny while she worked on her Ph.D. The first summer I was there, my niece was almost three and my nephew was 1.5. I would take them places in my sister's car all the time. Unfortunately, the car was a stick shift, and I had never driven one before. That should have stopped me, but it didn't....and the consequences were horrible.


I stalled. A lot.

Stopping on a hill was impossible--so I avoided that at all costs.

Note: Yelling at street signs isn't quite as effective as one might hope.

Going to the grocery store was an adventure--but coming home was worse.

Eggs are supposed to be good for your hair, right?

I think the time where I really hit rock bottom was on an afternoon outing to the neighborhood pool. The pool is only a mile from my sister's house, and it should have been no big deal. The problem is, there were a lot of stop signs and corners to turn--two things I absolutely hated.

I had stalled about a million times on the way there. I'm sure the kids had whiplash getting jerked around so much. Thank goodness for the five point harnesses, or else they may have fallen out. 

When we pulled up to the pool and I finally turned off the car, I looked in the backseat and there was my niece with a completely relieved look on her face. Then, with the most excitement I've ever seen a two year old in a five point harness muster up, she yelled:

You know you're a bad driver when a two year old is cheering for you.

Anyone else have a hard time learning a stick? Share your story (so I don't feel so bad)

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