Ah, the Happy Memories!

Learning to Drive!

Oh, what a glorious day that was, the first

 

Time I got to drive the car.  Dad was taking

 

Me for my first time driving, well, unless you count

 

That time me and Frank stole some of his dad's beer,

 

And his brand-new Corvette, but that's another story,

 

And none too smart, but back to this story;

 

My dad slid into the passenger's seat,

 

cautioning me to take it slow, but do you think

 

I listened?  Hell no, I was hell bent for leather

 

Cool,  I thought, just like drag racing on channel 4!

 

I dropped it into 1st and the car shot forward,

 

Spraying gravel behind us; my dad had a death-grip

 

On the door handle; which was kind of dumb;

 

If we got in a wreck, what good would the door handle be?

 

Well sir, it had just snowed, which wouldn't have been

 

A problem, as my dad had shoveled our driveway,

 

and the roads were dry, if  the car was

 

Still on the road; but alas, it wasn't; I had somehow

 

Lost control and we were now driving through

 

yards and across sidewalks; at last I spun a 360 in

 

Mr. Halliday's garden, and we came to a stop, mercifully. 

 

My dad somehow managed to pry his white-knuckled hand

 

Loose from the death-grip he'd had on the door handle,

 

Gave me a look that would have melted steel bars,

 

and demanded the keys back.  Now that I think

 

About it, not such a fond memory; certainly

 

Nowhere near fond enough to write a positive poem about;

 

I didn't get my license until a couple more years had

 

Gone by, and Old Mr. Dobson was kind enough to teach me;

 

Of course, the fact that I'd seen him shoplift and I had agreed to

 

say nothing had nothing to do with why he'd agreed to teach me!

 

 

 

Reviews

[Frieda P]

Exactly what Marie said...ha, you sound like one of my sons! Clever poem though.

[Michael Stevens]

Thank you much!

[Marie]

If I'd been your father you wouldn't have driven till you were at least thirty years old, and I'd have had a governer put on the car so it wouldn't go ovet 20 miles an hour.

I'll bet itwas tun though, those first few glorious minutes...

[Michael Stevens]

How did you know about that? Do you and my dad know each other? Do I have you to thank for not driving until I was 30; and getting many dirty looks on the freeway as I was FLYING along at 20 mph?

[Marie]

No, I'd probably have grounded you till you were 40.
I remember teaching my daughter to drive when she was 12. Actually, she knew the mechanics. Of course, she was much too young, but I wanted her to be familiar with the car, in case she ever had to use it. She never sped; never did anything dangerous, and is a far better driver than I have ever been.

[Michael Stevens]

You have my sympathies!