Sunday, May 13, 2007

Ok, Crush. I Need To Get To The East Australian Current. EAC?

"Good afternoon. We're gonna have a great jump today. Okay, first crank a hard cutback as you hit the wall. There's a screaming bottom curve, so watch out. Remember: rip it, roll it, and punch it."

That's right. Today I drove on the highway for the very first time. I know, it's probably not such a big deal to most of you out there, but I had a terrible fear of driving for the longest time and only got my license right after this past Pesach, before I went back to school (and if any of you thought you had to take the road test too many times before you passed, just be glad that number of times probably wasn't as many as it was for me). So today my dad took me on the highway and, I have to say, it was FUN. I was really nervous before getting on, and while I was merging on, but once I was on it, it really wasn't so bad. It was sort of exhilerating. And it DID feel like I was riding on a current, like the EAC (ten points if you know what movie that's from, even though it's waaaay too easy. Great movie, though). It hardly felt like driving. More like going along with the waves, you know? The current sort of just pushing you forward. Yeah, you have to watch out for cars switching lanes and all, but going that fast, and straight, and just everything. It was, well, awesome. I don't know how comfortable I'd feel doing it on my own just yet, but a few more times with my dad and it'll probably be no problem.

Now I just need to get over my fear of driving across bridges. I mean, what if a huge truck comes along in the lane next to you, doesn't see you, switches lanes, and pushes you off???

7 comments:

Scraps said...

I was petrified for the first 30 seconds I drove on the highway. After that, I got over it and had a great time. :)

I don't think I ever had a phobia of going over bridges. Do you have the same fear if someone else is doing the driving?

Erachet said...

Oddly, no. I don't have any fear of driving when someone else is doing it. I don't have fear of airplanes, either. It's just when I'm driving that I get nervous and have these ridiculous phobias. I think I just don't have enough confidence in myself.

SJ said...

I think there's something about English majors and driving...I know several with similarly late development.
I didn't get my license till last summer (I was 19), and I failed it once before I passed. My Dad says that I broke the curse, because my grandmother failed 4 times, he failed 3 times, so I should have failed twice. This all makes me feel good because my dad is the most brilliant person I've ever met.
I do not drive on the highway alone. I have driven numerous times with my mom in the passenger seat, but I've only done it alone once (and it was like 3 minutes on the highway) and I was superscared. I should figure it out someday though. But I'm scared. Did I mention I'm a bad driver? And I was born without a sense of direction. Oh, and I don't know the difference between left and right. Literally. That's also a problem.

SJ said...

P.S. Finding Nemo...DUH.

Erachet said...

SJ - Oh man, I have the same problems. I have a SERIOUS lack of direction sense (I've gotten lost while walking around my own neighborhood to my own close friends houses, or, you know, going home from someplace two minutes away. Though it mostly had to do with being completely distracted in my own thoughts, leaving not one little tiny morsel of thought to where I was going), I often mix up my lefts and rights (though if I'm ever confused, I think about which hand I use to say shema. That usually clears things up). I'm not even a clear righty or a clear lefty. I do most things with my right hand but plenty of things with my left (like, I switch my knife and fork around when I eat), which makes it all extra confusing. And, okay, I failed my road test SIX TIMES. That's got to be some sort of record. Hmm, I actually wonder what the record IS for most failed road tests? I should look into that. Maybe I can get into the Guinness Book of World Records!

I don't think I'm a bad driver, I think I'm just a very, very unconfident driver (I think I just made up a word. Yay!). Also, I don't trust other drivers, so, like, at intersections I'm like, "I know that really I have the right of way, but what if that car doesn't know that? What if he goes? What if he hits me? Should I just wait for him to go?" Or "I know I have an opening to make a left turn, but that car isn't THAT far away, what if he's closer than I think, what if I'm not fast enough, what if what if what if!"
Haha. Now no one reading my blog will want to drive with me :D

Erachet said...

Actually, scratch that. Failed five times, but I TOOK it six.

Scraps said...

I actually (by some miracle) passed on my first try. That almost made up for the fact that my sister, two years my junior, got her licence two weeks before I did...on her second try. ;-)

I have only driven on the highway completely alone once. Not because I'm scared, but because I don't usually have access to a car.

Now I have secret, hidden text like on SerandEz!