Saturday, August 1, 2009

Remembering.

I've been doing some of that. Partly because being incapacitated means I have more time to just think. I remember getting my drivers license at 18, just because I thought I should. I had no car to drive - my parents certainly weren't letting us near their car! I had learned to drive on Allan's parent's car - they probably wouldn't have been too pleased but they didn't know. At any rate, my dad promised me a car when I finished college. I never asked him too much about that, but it turns out that my expectations and his were very different. I was ready to start my first job, half a state away, and he took me to find a car. We found a very fine third hand Studebaker and it even had a 'hill holder' on it. No AC of course, or automatic transmission, but when I came to the top of the hill, the car wouldn't drift backwards while I changed gears, because I had a "hill holder". I was pretty pleased with this. Then, dad took me to the bank and took out a loan for me, and he co-signed the loan. This was his gift to me. I hadn't had any way to build any credit, so he gave me a chance to get a start on my credit record. It was really a good thing for him to do - much better than just giving me a car. I learned his work ethic very early.

Next, he had me drive out into the country, and pull off on the side of the dirt road. He got out of the car, went back and let all the air out of the rear left tire. Then he looked at me and said "Now what are ya' going to do?" This began my first lesson of what a jack was, how to use it, how to get the lug nuts off, etc. In short, I learned to change a tire. This really has blessed me all my life. Everyone should learn to do this. OF course today, we have cell phones and AAA and all that. We also have credit cards, which hadn't been invented either, when this happened. I remember when the first cards came out. Daddy deeply disapproved of them - he really thought they were a tool of Satan, and predicted dire consequences for people. He finally had to take one out, because the bank where he worked required him to have one, but he never trusted them. They really can be a trap, easily fallen into. Been there, done that. No more.

We've just had about two inches of rain. I expect the flowers will be beaten down, but they'll come back. Church tomorrow. Hooray!

Blessings-----

5 comments:

Mary Beth said...

I remembered the tire story as, he let all the air out of ALL the tires. Couldn't remember how you fixed that!

Relieved to know the right answer.

Mary Jane Butler or MJay said...

With only one spare, all the tires would have posed a real problem.

Mary Beth said...

Well, exactly!

Per your last...

you will get more comments if you comment on other blogs. :) just sayin'.

Mary Beth said...

hey I started a game of Wordscraper with you on Facebook! It's SO FUN! Go to your FB and see if you can get in. If not call me and we'll figure it out together.

love you

Mary Jane Butler or MJay said...

I'll try it first thing tomorrow! Hugs, M