“Let me see, let me see”, I screamed. This was one of the happiest days of my life. I was 16 and getting my first car. I had long dreamed about having my own car. I knew I was ready to take on the world and feel the wind blowing in my hair as I rode with window down. The day had finally come and I was so excited I thought I was going to jump out of skin. “Cover your eyes”, my mom said as we walked toward the garage. Finally it coming true, my very own car! The car of my dreams was only a few steps away! As, the garage door opened, I felt this overwhelming feeling of joy! “O’ my goodness”, I screamed. There it sat, a 1973 VW Super Beetle, yellow, with leather interior and ladybug floor mats.
For as long as I can remember, I wanted a VW Super Beetle. Although my father was not happy about my decision for my first car, he knew it was my dream. He used to tell me “Get a Ford, Chevy, or something new”! Of course, most kids never listen to their parents that that age. I remember starting the engine and hearing the small pipes rumble like a bumble bee. I could not wait to take my new car out for a drive. There was only one problem; I had no idea how to drive a standard transmission car.
Before I could drive my car to town and show it off to all my friends I had to learn how to drive it. So, my father took me and “Mitch”, the name of my car down a long dirt road. On the way to the deserted road, I tried to watch his every move. One foot on the gas, one on the clutch, first gear, second gear, third, then fourth. Wow, this looked like a lot of work just to drive a car. But I was determined nothing was going to get in my way. As we came to a stop and I climbed into the driver’s seat, I grew more and more nervous. First, I had to learn how to start the car. Once that was accomplished, I learned how to put it into gear and slowly shift from one gear to the next. This is so bad I thought I can do this with my eyes closed. Boy was I in for a big surprise! I felt the car...