This morning Abbie, James, and I ran a little errand. As we were driving home Abbie started asking me about my driving test. She loves The Brady Bunch and the dvd we got from the library this last time had Marcia taking her driver's test on it. I told her Nana took me to the courthouse, we filled out some forms, and then a policeman rode in Nana's station wagon with me while I took the test. She immediately asked if the policmeman came with me in case I had a wreck. (I had never thought about it that way before). Anyway, I told her "No, he sat in the front seat with me and told me to turn right here, or left there, or when to make the car stop." She piped up quickly, "You mean you have to know your left from your right when you drive?????" I assured her you did indeed have to know your left from your right hand when you start to drive a car.
You see, my firstborn Tyler quickly learned his left and right hands by singing the little ABEKA song in Kindergarten. He was very eager to please and if singing a silly song to mom made me happy he would do it. Fastforward to Matt and Abbie. They do lots of their schoolwork together. We started learning the ABEKA song and they didn't care for it one bit. Oh, Abbie loves little songs and hand motions, but for some reason she would not apply the little song and hand motion to real life situations. And Matt, my sweet little precious learning rebel, quickly abandoned all my hopes of having both of them sing it at our little Homeschool Graduation ceremony. "Oh, well, they will learn it soon enough", or so I thought. To them it is pointless to learn something like a silly song when a person could just say "This way or that way." So, maybe this will encourage them to get on the ball and learn it!!!!
This afternoon I was thinking about our talk and started remembering my driving test experience. It was my 16th birthday and wild horses could not have kept me from going to the courthouse that day. In my one day 16 year old mind my life was not going to be complete unless I got my driver's license THAT DAY! All the good things in life were going to happen to me now. I would have freedom unknown before. Life was worth living now~I would be able to drive!!! I'm sure my parents were secretly laughing at my big ambitions. Little did I know, my parents had absolutely no plans to go along with all the freedom I thought I needed. My mom did take me in her blue station wagon. I passed the written test with flying colors. I got into the station wagon (we called it the Church-Mobile because my mom was always picking up our friends and taking them to church with us), and then I just froze. I was shaking the whole time and I could not even THINK about what was next. All I could THINK was how my life was going to be over THAT day because I was NOT going to pass my test. I really don't think I did one thing right on that driving test and I'm sure that policeman either quit that day or upped his life insurance policy. Needless to say I failed. I held it together as the policeman read through his list of all the things I had done wrong. I held it together as I walked back inside the courthouse. But when I saw my mom I fell apart right there in the courthouse. And when I fall apart it ain't pretty. I was making such a scene and my mom was so embarrassed. She was telling me to straighten up and to quit crying. I could not imagine how she could be so heartless. Didn't she know my life was OVER? Such humiliation. All my friends would be waiting on the phone call to see if I had got it. My mom was still going to have to drive me to school the next day and all my friends would see. Oh, the angst!
Anyway, I had to reapply for my learner's permit. And let me tell you, that picture wasn't pretty after all the crying I had been doing. We went home and I was in the throes to teenage depression until the next week when I retook the test and passed it. Barely. But, I am happy to say I did know my left from my right.
So, tell me, did you pass your driver's test the first time your tried?
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I passed mine the first time, but the trooper who gave it to me said he was letting me have my license because it was his last week in Chilton County. I guess you get it honest.
ReplyDeleteOh Momma, you know it was because you were so cute!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWelllll...I passed my driving test the first time, but I didn't passed my permit test the first time. After everyone told me how easy it was and how you'd have to be an idiot not to pass it, I told no one that I was taking it. Which proved to be smart since I was the idiot who failed it.
ReplyDeleteThen with my driving test, the guy told me a bunch of things I did wrong, but I heard nothing after "you passed".
Also just finished your amish people book. Schyler's glad. I've been making us stop to have "independent reading time" all weekend!!Ha!
Failed the permit test the first time but passed the driving test. However, the trooper who gave me my test told me that if I didn't start driving over 20mph she would fail me! I took her advice and since then have rarely driven 20mph ;)
ReplyDeletePASSED!! And like you, I would have completely fallen apart if I had not. I was a nervous wreck! I had a harder time with the written test than the driving - that part ALMOST caused me to fail!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI barely passed my permit test. When I took my drivers test, I did pretty well until on the way back to the courthouse, I RAN A RED LIGHT!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThe trooper told me to go home and drink some herbal tea, and come back tomorrow. I came back the next day and passed!
I passed my 16 year old test the first time (we even had to paralell park). I know what you mean about freezing up though. When I took my CDL test all I could think about was failing and losing my job! The nice lady let me take a break. I went to the restroom locked myself in a stalland had prayer time. She said she would let me pass if I would stay out of calhoun county!
ReplyDeleteI did pass..but with a good story. I, too, went to the DMV the day after my 16th birthday (which had torturously fallen on a Sunday) and, wouldn't you know, the cute little blond boy from Math class also showed up that day!! As if I wasn't beyond nervous already. When I get too nervous, I tend to get hives (not so much now but as a teenager, it was bad) and I wasn't sure I could remain calm....but surely he would be gone by the time I got back! Oh no. I walked in...there he was...my dad came toward me and announced (using a megaphone I'm sure) to the entire tiny office, "What's wrong with your neck?!?" The earth could not have swallowed me fast enough!! I now had a license...but would never be able to attend school again!
ReplyDeleteI feel Abbie's pain. I DID pass the first time (my driver's test, but not my permit test. Talk about being humiliated) - but - I do NOT know my left from my right. I have to look down to see which hand my wedding ring is on EVERY time. It's just a weird mental block. However, in my defense, I have actually met a LOT of people with said condition, and most of them are left-handed like I am.
ReplyDeleteSo - Abbie - you DO NOT, after all, need to know your left from your right to drive. Just have a quick stand-by to look and see which is which (before I got married, I used the scar on my right wrist where I had a pin put in it).
However, it WOULD come in handy to know it. . . I'm trying to start teaching Ali young so that she will do better than me.
I did NOT pass my driver's test the first time. I was so shook up on the way home (bless Mama's heart, she let me drive home after failing my test) that I took a curve way too fast & Mama cussed.
ReplyDeleteI passed the first time. Jill, I can't believe your mama cussed. You're making that up.
ReplyDeleteJill, do you have to tell everything your know. I'm sorry Mollie.
ReplyDeleteI passed my driver's test the first time, but I have to tell you--they made me get up on North Central Expressway, Dallas, during first period--9:00 AM for those of you who don't remember when that is!--while I was taking my driver's ed class in high school! No kidding! Maybe my fourth or fifth time behind the wheel and I'm in rush hour morning traffic in Dallas! My knuckles were white! I did not have a test for the permit, unless that was when we used the simulator.
ReplyDeleteOh wow! After reading all those comments about not passing the written test make me feel so much better! I thought I was the only one! I took my drivers test when I 17. Apparently Dad and Mom thought driving the old pick up in the pasture was not enough practice. I did pass that the first time though. I also had to "side ways" parking (that's what my children call it.) and backing up without swerving. I got good practice dodging the cows!
ReplyDelete