childhood flashback

So I'm riding in the car with my father today, and typical him, he can't just drive, no he has to multitask by talking on the phone. Well, that's not really new, however the car we're in is. New to us, not new really. And its a stick shift. So right in the middle of my wandering thoughts, his voice changes, directed at me, and says,"straight down".

The adult in me panics. What? What does that mean? Meanwhile, the child somewhere inside, instantly reaches out and jerks the gear shift straight down. Just like I use to do when I rode with dad, oh about twelve years ago. It scared me then, and I have to say it scares me now. I never really knew what I was scared of back then. I also really didn't know what the purpose of shifting was. I just was afraid that if I did it wrong the car would, well break. But now, I worried that I would miss third and land in reverse while traveling down the road at speed in excess of . . . forty miles an hour!

I didn't miss third, and I soon discovered that, even though I don't know how to drive a stick per say, I do understand the principle, so I soon learned to watch the foot that was on the clutch and he didn't even have to tell me where to shove the lovely little stick. And I only missed once. (from second to fifth because I overshot third.)

Anyway, it was. . . interesting to travel down the road, feeling seven or eight again. Who knows, next time (and knowing my dad there's sure to be a next time) I might even remember to shift back to first when we come to a stop.