You don’t forget your first car, Do you?

You don’t forget your first car.

Passing  driver’s test and getting your driver’s license is one of the most important milestones in life-and in most cases, it’s the first handle you jump on the road to adulthood.  I imagine for most people, having a driver’s license provides them with my first real taste of freedom and independence.

I started  driving  when I was  in  upper class and my first car  to drive  was a tractor  “Massey Ferguson” which are on the production line till today. It had  no  sunroof, automatic gears, push buttons, to mention but a few. In fact  we used  to park it on a  hilly  ground  to  jump start  it whenever  we needed  it for milling purposes  which was a pretty big deal back then, and it was the perfect asset for the villagers where I grew up.

I was 15 by then, license was an issue so i would only drive in the yards, a cool Wednesday evening, a mill’s  day and our tractor served  a multipurpose  job though we had to push it till it jump starts. The parking lot as model as a high level ground to take advantage of gravity when pushing,  but I thought it would be a great  and easy  job. I burnt plenty of gas, and with every step on the gas as i levied and blew smokes clouds from the exhaust. The plan hand been hatched by my dad tried and tested a considerable times to certify that it works, all this because of a failure of the ignition   switch. Rolling it from its  parking for a few meters in neutral gear  and sudden engage  with  gear   one.. and then there the engines fires with a little shakes but who cares, shock absorbers were never in our budget, though on this day it failed. To the amusement of the waiting villagers on the mills its been a week since the mill’s sound was in the air. My dad  knew  this mishaps could happen, hence he couldn’t let himself be involved in such scenarios.   I decided to take a second challenge through a second  trial to start it, this time from another sloppy rough road  away from our parking lot. 

I made a slight miscalculation but included my mom on this plan. What could she possibly say about jump starting cars, she hasn’t drove one at my presence neither did she study mechanical engineering, but logic and gravity deifies all,  getting a great  idea  that we could work on together was the only thing in my mind. The heavy dead mill will take toll on the whole village back to its parking lot. My Mum trusted that i would drive and she opened the gate for me. Finally the tractor was rolling down the rough road and the engine started without a hitch. “Its not stopping I shouted” It takes experience to notice a brake failure when car is in motion,  could trees save my life ? a question that saved my life that day. I could go on to tell you about the arguments that ensued, the diplomatic reasoning my dad considered and then abandoned, and the countless, “You’ve got to be kidding me’s” that I repeated.  Standing in the garage that day, I learnt that I was not going to be driving our  tractor not only for  one day  but   for  the next  six  months.

Everyone remembers their first car. I read some fantastic stories, proving that not only does everyone remember their first car, but also we all have a powerful story to share, the journies we made and the ups and downs we’ve gone through.

The year was 2007. It was official: I was now living an ‘adult’ life. I had graduated from  college,  got a job, and was officially engaged to my  university sweetheart. Now I was making the ultimate purchase for someone my age: a new car, or a second hand, It took us a simple inspection at the car, a few smiles as she walked  around it, finally i found myself sitting at the driver’s seat warming up the engine, a few questions goes in the cabin, Where’s the airbag? its a latest safety measure in the modern world of motoring, a drive home was inevitable after the sales man made us sign a bunch of papers, as we drove home the only thing in our mind was how we would make it as good as new.

But I didn’t want just any car. I wanted a  merc and not just any mercedes the one I bought was a flashy, blue metallic colour with a  AMG KIT  panoramic sunroof. Not only did it get me to work but also  drop my wife to work too ,  it was also the transportation we used for weekend getaways to Ocean City, visits to my friends at their  homes  and the car we drove for many and uncountable occasions . My mind flashes with memories made in this car, and I’m glad cars can’t talk! unless you share your story……..

I got my driver’s license when I was 24   years and 1 month old. I was the first of all my friends to get  license. Thus, I instantly became the most popular  in my village  Just kidding-but people did use me for rides all the time. It was so great to not have mom and dad  supervising  me  while  driving  and having  awkward  dates. Driving allowed me to have an independent social life, without being dependent on my parents’ schedules.

Driving also represented a new level of maturity and growing up. Since I’m the eldest of all, having a driver’s license meant I also became responsible for driving siblings around and helping out with family errands.

“Now that I’m grown and living in the city, I don’t even own a car. I use public transportation to get everywhere, and find that I miss driving. I’m saving my money to purchase a car of my own. Any recommendations?” www.zealousadventure.com