Sunday, July 7, 2013

It's Just Like Riding A Bike!

Have you ever heard somebody say that to you?  Yep, me too.  And a lot of the times, I never believe them because with me, I have quite a few big learning curves.  So, when it came time for me to get behind the wheel of a car again, I found it very daunting and terrifying.

I actually treated it very much like anything else I did in life... I watched the roads carefully for a few days first.  These things are like the ocean:  you can't turn your back on them for a second or you'll be up to you neck in problems, troubles and very rude drivers blaming you for their bad driving.  Then, I got behind the wheel of the car, drove it through the zig-zag of driveway of my unit complex, got to the gate, watched it open automatically ... and ... and ... turned my Mum's Pajero around and took it back to my place and parked it back in my carport.

This was over 3 years ago and I was disgusted in myself.  I was one big chicken for not doing through with it, but I just didn't have the confidence in myself to drive the car.  The traffic was more hazardous and I found that it had been too long since I drove a vehicle.  Even my brother was beginning to have his doubts about me driving again; and to think I had spent over $500 on getting my license in the first place - and it's a manual driver's license too; one of the toughest ones to get.

This time around, it took me three hours to talk myself into driving the damned car - the same car - and the one good thing I had going for me were friends who believed in me.  One of my neighbours even went to the trouble of checking to see what kind of petrol the Pajero took so I didn't screw up the engine on Mum (Premium Unleaded; just so I remember)... and the good thing is that it's on the inside of the petrol cap too, to remind me. 
Once I was out on the road, I remembered every road rule I was taught... it all came back to me in a few minutes!  I couldn't believe how quickly my brain remembered how to get back into the concentration of driving a motor vehicle... and how much fun I remember driving is!  I didn't white-knuckle it - like I thought I was going to - but it was something I will get in and do again. 

And seeing I'm enjoying it, and I'm allowed to drive, I've got big plans for this Winter.  I have wanted to fix up my garden for a long time - but catching a cab to and from Bunnings is very expensive at any time.  So, seeing I have Mum's car to use, I'll take it there and use it carry potting mix, pots and new plants into my yard as well as get myself some lovely little statues in there by the time Mum and Dad arrive home from their trip.  This will take around 4 months to do and being the colder time of year, it's the perfect time to get in and repot plants that need it and plant new plants as they're all dormant right now; and I have a few plants that need topping up and I'd like to fix up my back yard and get some of my plants into proper planters to make the yard look lovely... and then get some weed killer to get rid of the Wandering Dew that's hanging around from over the fence.

So, there's some of my plans for this year; and what I'm going to do with the car, seeing I've got access to one now.  What have you got planned?  And what have you gotten back into after a long time putting it off when you thought it was too late, too hard or you were too old?  Was it easier to get back into it than you thought?  Or was it just as difficult as you thought?  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.

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