Rant #3,576: Roll With It

Yesterday afternoon, while I sat in my car, waiting to pick up my son from work, my mind was wandering, daydreaming away, and then, something dawned on me.

When I first started to drive way back in November 1974--when I got my first full-fledged adult driver's license--my first car was my dad's old yellow medallion taxi, a 1970 (?) Dodge Coronet that was long and sleek and ... very yellow.

He had purchased I think what was his first Checker cab, so I got what he didn't need anymore.

And I believe that today is the 50th anniversary of that special day in my life, when I received my first adult driver's license in the mail.

I have owned many cars in the past 50 years, but that first one was special to me.

It was my first car, which made it special right then and there.

But it stood out like a sore thumb, especially where I parked it in high school, among numerous brand new cars parents gave their kids.

It had lots of miles on it, it only had an AM radio--I later added an under-the-dash FM radio--and it had no air conditioning--

But it had the best air vent of any car I ever had, and when it was open and you were on the open road, it was like a hurricane in the car!

The car leaked all over, didn't get great gas mileage, but it was MY car, my first car, so it made it super special to me.

The car made it through high school and all the way through college, and I don't remember at what mileage my father gave it to me with, but when I finally gave up the car, it had more than 218,000 miles on it.

I hated to give it up, but after the years my father drove it--two or three of heavy-duty use--plus the five years I drove it, it was time to move on.

I learned to drive on that car--my father taught me--I took my road test on that car, and I drove my first miles as a licensed driver with that car, so how could I ever forget my first car?

I wish I had a photo of it, but unfortunately, I don't, which saddens me.

There must be a photo somewhere, but I don't have it.

What a car, and what memories I have of it and the places it took me.

I can barely remember my next car--I bought it used, and it had cigarette butts in its every crevice, as the original owner was an extremely heavy smoker--and I drove that car during grad school and some time afterward , but I have few memories of that vehicle. 

I can't even remember what make and model it was! I do know that it was a smaller car than what I had, but other than the cigarettes and the size, I honestly don't remember very much about it.

But I guess you never forget your first car, and on the 50th anniversary of my first driver's license, it is still very vivid in my mind.

And if you are wondering what my first trip was in that car, I took myself and my mother to the bowling alley where I was in a league at the time, just to make sure I could make the trip.

I was as careful behind the wheel as I could be, we got there without a problem, we left, and then we were about two minutes away from our house, and--

Out of nowhere, a dog darted just ahead of me.

I slammed on the brakes, my mother and I, happily, did not go through the front window--remember, back then, you did not have to use the seat belts, and they were buried in the crease of the front seat anyway--and I miraculously avoided the dog.

We made it home safely, thank God.

Based on that experience, I knew two things right off the bat about my driving.

The first, I was already a good driver, and the second, if it is ever again between me and a stray animal, I will do my best, but the animal gets it.

Funny, I have had similar situations during the past 50 years, but never anything thatclose.

So there you have it.

Do you remember your first car? Any interesting stories about it?

I would love to hear from you!

Drive, he said ...

And I did just that.