my first car
Do you remember your first car?
I remember taking my driving test in my parents Ford Aerostar minivan. That's the vehicle every young girl wants to drive, isn't it? At a time in my life when image rules, here I come in a minivan. I don't remember caring though. I just wanted to drive. I think the gentleman from the DMV felt sorry for me because my test was literally a drive down the street in a residential neighborhood. He asked me to pull over to the side of the road and stop. Then he asked me to drive backwards a ways. After that he said, "Ok, let's head back." What?! Head back? I thought for sure I failed my test. I remember feeling slightly disappointed that I'd have to try again in a few weeks. Then, back at the DMV he surprised me and told me I passed! Whoo hoo! I got back into that wonderful minivan a licensed driver.
First thing I did was pick up my good friend Jess and go for a victory ride around our little town. It was Jessica's birthday and we were able to celebrate by driving around like adults with no parents! I still remember the beautiful sunny day, driving with Jess in the minivan. Life was good.
My memory is kinda muddy on the how but the first car which I could loosely call mine (since it was really my parents) was a 1986 Ford Escort wagon I nicknamed the TGG (Turbo Grocery Getter). It wasn't really turbo at all. In fact the TGG was quite the opposite of turbo. There was a small incline on the route to my house and the speed limit was 55mph on that section of road. Well, the turbo grocery getter would start out on the incline going 55mph and by the time I crested the hill with the pedal to the floor I'd maybe be going 45mph. I'm sure my dad loved that 'feature' of the vehicle. Especially for his daughter who enjoyed breaking the speed limit law from time to time. Going downhill of course.
The TGG taught me patience. There were many days it just decided not to start. I'm pretty sure most of those days I was running late in the first place. Come to think of it, I was usually running late. The TGG taught me responsibility. The importance of being to work on time, obeying the traffic laws and allowing me to be home in time for curfew. It allowed me to be a friend in action. I gave my sister and brother rides on occasion and was able to give people rides back and forth to college in that little car. I even taught Jess how to drive in the TGG.
I also remember meeting my future husband while driving that Ford Escort. Jess and I were driving around town when we saw this cute guy and realized it was Patrick whom I'd had a crush on a few years before. We parked in a parking lot and had a conversation with him. Next thing you know we were dating. Sometimes he drove the TGG and I remember on one very cold day Patrick was driving and went to click on the turn signal and the lever broke! We still chuckle about that on occasion.
The TGG is long gone, but I still have Patrick and Jess and the memories associated with my first car. How about you?
I remember taking my driving test in my parents Ford Aerostar minivan. That's the vehicle every young girl wants to drive, isn't it? At a time in my life when image rules, here I come in a minivan. I don't remember caring though. I just wanted to drive. I think the gentleman from the DMV felt sorry for me because my test was literally a drive down the street in a residential neighborhood. He asked me to pull over to the side of the road and stop. Then he asked me to drive backwards a ways. After that he said, "Ok, let's head back." What?! Head back? I thought for sure I failed my test. I remember feeling slightly disappointed that I'd have to try again in a few weeks. Then, back at the DMV he surprised me and told me I passed! Whoo hoo! I got back into that wonderful minivan a licensed driver.
First thing I did was pick up my good friend Jess and go for a victory ride around our little town. It was Jessica's birthday and we were able to celebrate by driving around like adults with no parents! I still remember the beautiful sunny day, driving with Jess in the minivan. Life was good.
My memory is kinda muddy on the how but the first car which I could loosely call mine (since it was really my parents) was a 1986 Ford Escort wagon I nicknamed the TGG (Turbo Grocery Getter). It wasn't really turbo at all. In fact the TGG was quite the opposite of turbo. There was a small incline on the route to my house and the speed limit was 55mph on that section of road. Well, the turbo grocery getter would start out on the incline going 55mph and by the time I crested the hill with the pedal to the floor I'd maybe be going 45mph. I'm sure my dad loved that 'feature' of the vehicle. Especially for his daughter who enjoyed breaking the speed limit law from time to time. Going downhill of course.
The TGG taught me patience. There were many days it just decided not to start. I'm pretty sure most of those days I was running late in the first place. Come to think of it, I was usually running late. The TGG taught me responsibility. The importance of being to work on time, obeying the traffic laws and allowing me to be home in time for curfew. It allowed me to be a friend in action. I gave my sister and brother rides on occasion and was able to give people rides back and forth to college in that little car. I even taught Jess how to drive in the TGG.
I also remember meeting my future husband while driving that Ford Escort. Jess and I were driving around town when we saw this cute guy and realized it was Patrick whom I'd had a crush on a few years before. We parked in a parking lot and had a conversation with him. Next thing you know we were dating. Sometimes he drove the TGG and I remember on one very cold day Patrick was driving and went to click on the turn signal and the lever broke! We still chuckle about that on occasion.
The TGG is long gone, but I still have Patrick and Jess and the memories associated with my first car. How about you?
Kim,
ReplyDeleteI love your story! Your so funny. I can picture you driving around town in yourTGG.
I was scared to drive so I was already 18 when I took my drivers test. My first car was a Gremlin..have you ever heard of that kind of car? It was a hatch back and it was blue. It took me back and forth to college and through my first few months of marriage.
My husband, on the other hand, had a brand new 1974 candy apple red mustang....stick shift. I tease him and say I only went out with him for the cool car! He taught me to drive the stick shift.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
blessings
~a
Ha ha Annesta, I have heard of a Gremlin and might even be able to identify one if they were still on the road. ;)
ReplyDeleteI hope he still has that candy apple red mustang! What a sweet car to go on dates in. He taught you a very valuable lesson when he taught you to drive stick shift! I watch Amazing Race on CBS and the contestants are very often put in manual vehicles and many have no clue how to drive a stick shift. I guess the moral of that story is that you'd be good on Amazing Race!! :)
Well, if driving a stick shift was the only criteria for being good on the Amazing Race I would have it made!!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately he was in a very serious accident a year after his dad gave him the car. The good news is that he was not injured (by the grace of God) but the bad news is that the car was completely totaled. In fact, it was a miracle that he walked away with barely a scratch!
~a
Oh, my heart dropped when I read about the accident. I'm sorry to hear that. How scary. Apparently God has big plans for your honey! I sure love miracles! Gives me goosebumps.
ReplyDelete