You Can Teach an Old Dog...

Well, I'm not That old but you get the picture.

I did it. I successfully drove the Husband's car with standard transmission today.

I also had a mild anxiety attack yesterday thinking about driving his car.

You might wonder why we have a car I can't couldn't drive. That would be because this is the Father-in-law's "old" car. When he moved last year he generously gave us this car. It's a nice "zoom zoom" of a car but it doesn't fit the whole family so when I'm at school all day Saturday and Sunday I need to drive it while he's chauffeuring the beasties hither and yon.

Yesterday I was thinking about having to drive this car to school tomorrow night and I got a little bit nervous. (That might be an understatement.) I was worrying about getting out of our driveway. It is a little hill. All I could think of was waaaay back when I was in high school a friend of mine was driving her boyfriend's (standard transmission) car. We were stopped at an intersection near the mall where we worked. There was a hill. My friend *H* leaned out the window and yelled to the car behind us to please back up...she did not hit that car but I think I was a little bit nervous we were going to roll back and smash into them.

Today, though, I hesitate to mention I didn't stall the car and I didn't even squeal the tires. (I did that yesterday. The conversation went like this- Me: What's that smell? Him: You just burnt rubber.)

But today, I drove the car and I survived. I'm not sure the car loves me. (It growled a couple of times.) I'm still a wee bit anxious about driving it tomorrow. (Wimp!) However, I faced the fear and I. Did. It.

There was a time when I would have looked for a way to avoid having to drive the car...and I bet the loving Husband would have enabled me to do so. But I knew in my heart that I needed to face the "giant", put on my "big girl pants" and drive.

Today I am thankful that the Husband had the patience to talk me through learning and rode shotgun with me yesterday even though he hates sitting in the passenger seat. I am thankful that I didn't give up when I could have. Most of all, I am thankful to God for everything He did to make it possible for me to sit in that driver's seat.

-Peace