The Characters and the Setting
The 1990s, Me, My dad, His new corvette, West Avenue, rush hour, and teachable moments.
Let me SET the scene. I just purchased a vehicle from a car auction and I am in my 20s. Young and naïve as I was…. IT IS a STICK SHIFT. Problem ISSS, I don’t know HOW to DRIVE a stick shift. I know, I know, I was young and immature. Laugh out loud. The PRICE was RIGHT though and it was a sportscar-too…. WHAT was I THINKING? LOL….. Wasn’t about to pass it UP. (Which makes me laugh today b/c I am SUPER practical). UMMMM….THENNNNN, not so much, in my shiny mustang convertible. SOOO WHATS a GIRL TO DOOOOO???
CALLLLL DAD RIGHT? :) THAT’S what MOST of us girls DO, eh? We CALL the MAN in our lives who have all of the answers.... (GOD THE FATHER usually…).However, In THIS CASE it was my “EARTHLY” father that I called UPON to teach me this specific lesson. However, I think God used my DAD that day to teach ME WAYYYY more than just shifting into a new gear….. You will see what I mean as YOU read more in to the story.
Soooo…. ON TO MY LESSSON…….
I proceed to CALL DAD for help and he says…..“Come on over …. I’ll teach ya”….. soooo
I get to his house and we literally JUMP into his brand NEW corvette. “Whatttt? Can’t I practice w your OLD ford ranger or anything besides your precious baby?”…. I begged him pathetically. Nope …. WE HAD to take THE VETTE. GREATTTTT…. I KNEW a LESSON WAS COMING b/c he loved this prized corvette and TRUSTED ME to drive it. IN A WAY I
felt like he was BUILDING MY CONFIDENCE BEFORE I EVEN STARTED TO PRACTICE. (what a smart move on dad’s part). .. Sooo fast forward anddd dad and I are cruising down Lansing Avenue and I am quickly getting the hang off the
whole SHITFTING GEARS to GAIN SPEED thing…. I was “comfortable” on the road of
life, BUT, THIS was “partially” b/c there was NO traffic lol… THAT’S EASY RIGHT? When you got’ noooobodyyyy’ comin’ at cha’? ALL OF A SUDDDEN my dad firmly says… “TAKE A RIGHT”…. I reply “BUTTTTT DAD… THAT’S WEST AVE.”…. My dad gives me that LOOK, like, “WHATTTT did I say?” I knew not to challenge him when I saw “THAT LOOK”, especiallyyyy AFTER a …“But Dad”… He had a half grin going with squinted eyes and
not to mention a VERY serious brow. His facial expressions were shouting” don’t
let me down girl”….Oh...AND.... I wasn’t about to. :)
I followed my dad’s firm instructions and I TURNED onto West Avenue and I remember clearlyyyy that I started to panic...( just a little)… … and my dad looked at me and said sternly “ya gotta be able to think on your feet in these situations… YOU GOT THIS … no fear...COME ON kid” and he added a few loud “GOS” and a “MOVEEE “(with a chuckle) and I think he threw in there a sware word or two when I paused a fraction of a moment too long ( as cars were quickly approaching my/or HIS rear bumper) …. ha ha… I immediately chose a gear though and moved forward. NOW it was a little jerky at first and I stalled out a time or two, butttt, as I saw the cars coming at me I knew what I needed to do. “MOVEEE”….WHEN LIFE IS COMING AT YOU MY FRIENDS “MOVEMENT” is sometimes the most crucial step. Can’t tell you how MANY times I pray to God the Father and I feel like THE GREATT ALLLLMIGHHHTY is telling ME to MOVE forward and I give even HIM a ....“BUTTTT… DADDD”…. Ya still with ME? YEP….. Welll ....THAT DAY I certainly “picked UP” what my dad was trying to LAY down. Even though it was a little scary for me the lesson stuck.
The stories of learning and growth are always funnier AFTER the fact… Dad tells these stories and laughs til he can’t breathe and then starts crying...well crying bc he is laughin SO HARD. NOT REAL CRYING. HIS EYES JUST WATER b/c He chokes himself w laughter.... He thinks his story is so dang funny. IT USUALLY IS... :) Gotta love it…. THIS STORY on LEARNING how to DRIVE A STICK WAS MORE ABOUT MOVEMENT and MAKING GOOD DECISIONS TO MOVE FORWARD…. YEP…. Make a decision TO MOVE forward (when everything is coming at ya)… and be FARTHER along on the road! I took this analogy INTO the way I live my life TODAY. I certainly don’t recommend this lesson of being thrown out into heavy traffic to everyone…. But …YA SEE…. MYDAD… HE KNEW I had an issue w STALLING …AND FEAR…. I BELIEVE, my dad wanted me to grasp the concept of moving forward on a not to so easy road to navigate. He wanted me to GET the concept of making a good decision and sticking to it and moving forward to GAIN MOMENTUM IN LIFE. (ESPECIALLY WHEN EVERYTHING IS COMING AT YA).
My dad has tested me all of my life LIKE THIS…. AND …. I JUST realized that my heavenly father often does THE SAME THING, teaching me NEW ways to ACT in FAITH AND CERTAINITY in a present (maybe even scary) situation and move forward. Here I thought that day on West Avenue w my dad was about learning to drive a stick shift but now I know it was more WISDOM ON NAVIGATING MY COURSE.
Thank you dad. BET YOU HAD NO IDEA YOU TAUGHT ME ALL OF THIS….
NOW you DO! I wouldn’t be half the person I am today without you and mom’s wisdom
delivered throughout the ages in such weird and UNIQUE ways. Laugh out loud.
Grateful.
My friends, is it time to SHIFT into another gear?
Well, Like dad would say…… “BETTERRR MOVEEEEEEEEE” …. You don’t want to get HIT.
STILL CALLIN’ ON BOTH DADDYS TODAY- God the Father AND MY earthly Father to help ME NAVIGATE these narrow roads of life.
Less Stalling. More Movement