Every time I take a long road trip, and I mean every single time, I think of my high school Driver’s Education teacher, Mr. Brown.
Mr. Brown was from Mississippi, and couldn’t pronounce his Rs. He was a tad difficult to understand. Lucky for us, he spoke with a sloooow southern drawl, so we had plenty of time to figure out what he was trying to tell us.
One of the exercises he had us do, during our on-the-road classes, was to change lanes without hitting the reflectors that ran between the lanes… the ‘fump, fumps” he called them.
That’s why road trips take me down memory lane. I still try to stealthily veer around the “fump, fumps.” It’s one of the very few maneuvers I managed to master during Driver’s Ed. Which was good, because I was the first student who ever received an F in backing up.
We were supposed to navigate through a dog-leg course, in reverse. Mr. Brown made me abandon my car when I ran over one of the course traffic cones and got it irretrievably stuck up in a rear wheel well.
“Jus’ get outta da caw!”
The only thing that saved me from failing the class entirely was that I was the only student in my class who could parallel park. And, I did it like a boss. None of this multiple attempts parking, I mean I could tuck my car into that tiny space, first try, every time… still can. It was like I entered a self-transcendent state of ecstasy, my moment of zen.
I was the parking space…
I may not be able to drive backwards through a narrow zig-zag shaped alley, but if you have to park on the street, or deftly avoid small plastic objects stuck on the road, I’m your go-to gal.
Thin spiral notebook 
I am so glad I didn’t have to deal with reverse driving through cones. I could do it now probably, but not as a nervous, insecure 16 year old. And, I love when the parallel parking zen is fully engaged!
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I hope Asta heals well and fast. This is a great story of something all of us know well. I can parallel park, but don’t like to, if it means traffic will stop behind me. My significant other, like you, is an expert at it. However, I can back up like a boss. Interestingly, I’ve had to do it on enough occasions that made me glad I somehow learned not to be afraid of it.
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I’ve been known to tell my daughter that if she does one thing well in her life: make it parallel parking. I’ve got an odd gift for it, too. Backing up though? Yeah, no. Something flips in my brain, making the whole thing impossible.
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I’m glad Asta is in such good hands! I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a speedy recovery for her. And-I’m also bowing down to your prowess at parallel parking. When I try, it isn’t pretty;)
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I absolutely love the parallel parking goddess, and an ecstasy-inducing episode in a car??? I grovel at your steering column. Terrific post, Tara!
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Paralell parking is cruical and so is backing into a parking place… remember you might need to get out in a hurry… Ooops shouldn’t have said that.
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If all I have to do is backup in a straight line, I’m good. It’s all that fancy turning stuff that frustrates me. For some reason, when I backup, I am easily confused about which way to turn the wheel. I think since I’m in reverse, the logical thing is to turn the wheel opposite of the way I want the car to go. Apparently that’s wrong.
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I’ve missed you! Sorry I’ve been MIA 😦
And ummm backing up? I HATE it. I have a special little reflector thing in my car window so I can see more, but I’m constantly paranoid about it and never comfortable. But parallel parking? I’m right there with you, my friend. So right there with you. Glad there was no required backing up through cones for me!
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Lovely account of learning – and great you have the gift of parallel parking- a rare talent indeed!
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