Once upon a time I managed to buy a second hand Ford car which had belonged to a chicken farmer in County Roscommon. Often while driving I'd see brown and white feathers floating from the back seats. There's something strangely comforting about chicken feathers.
I drove my car to the accompanying sounds of an out of tune orchestra. Bangs, twangs, gulps and wheezes became so familiar that I sang along -- equally out of tune. Whenever a new sound intruded I knew that something which shouldn't be happening was happening. Luckily my local friendly mechanic knew my car better than I did.
LEARNER DRIVER
I signed up for compulsory driving lessons before taking my burgundy beauty around the roads of Ireland. The instructor James Aloysius Kelly, always a true gentleman, was soon puzzled. I just couldn't manage the gears. I simply had to look down at the gear box and count 1--2--3--4 as I manoeuvred the car.
'You mustn't look down,' James Aloysius warned. 'You've to watch the road. See and be seen!
He had a bright idea for the next lesson. We'd try a new location. His reasoning was that I'd be so occupied driving on different roads that I'd shift gears automatically. I drove as directed to a wide road beside a park. There was a slight hill to climb.
'Step on the gas a bit,' my instructor suggested. 'Now put her into second and don't look down!'
I obeyed.
'Good on ye Marie,' James Aloysius chuckled. 'Thanks' I smiled, very pleased with myself.
'Right, now foot on the pedal a bit more, and put her into third. Don't look down!
Doing as he said, I reached out and deftly put the right knee of James Aloysius Kelly into third gear!
Mortified, I apologised profusely. 'Anytime, anytime,' James Aloysius laughed.
A true gentleman indeed.
I drove my car to the accompanying sounds of an out of tune orchestra. Bangs, twangs, gulps and wheezes became so familiar that I sang along -- equally out of tune. Whenever a new sound intruded I knew that something which shouldn't be happening was happening. Luckily my local friendly mechanic knew my car better than I did.
LEARNER DRIVER
I signed up for compulsory driving lessons before taking my burgundy beauty around the roads of Ireland. The instructor James Aloysius Kelly, always a true gentleman, was soon puzzled. I just couldn't manage the gears. I simply had to look down at the gear box and count 1--2--3--4 as I manoeuvred the car.
'You mustn't look down,' James Aloysius warned. 'You've to watch the road. See and be seen!
The following afternoon, instead of having a driving lesson he took me to a garage. There I was introduced to an actual out of car gear box so that I could understand how it worked. I saw how the plates came together when the vehicle was put into gear -- a car couldn't be driven when the gears were not engaged.
'You'll have more confidence after this -- knowing how things work is half the battle.' said James Aloysius.
'You'll have more confidence after this -- knowing how things work is half the battle.' said James Aloysius.
He had a bright idea for the next lesson. We'd try a new location. His reasoning was that I'd be so occupied driving on different roads that I'd shift gears automatically. I drove as directed to a wide road beside a park. There was a slight hill to climb.
'Step on the gas a bit,' my instructor suggested. 'Now put her into second and don't look down!'
I obeyed.
'Good on ye Marie,' James Aloysius chuckled. 'Thanks' I smiled, very pleased with myself.
'Right, now foot on the pedal a bit more, and put her into third. Don't look down!
Doing as he said, I reached out and deftly put the right knee of James Aloysius Kelly into third gear!
Mortified, I apologised profusely. 'Anytime, anytime,' James Aloysius laughed.
A true gentleman indeed.
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