driving- day 1

Driving has always tossed up its own share of "bumps" in my road. When I was 16, just nine days after I received my license, I backed into a beautiful Lincoln Town Car. I later took out a Cadillac and an old tree while in reverse. I've had more than my fair share of speeding tickets... even a few that cost my parents more than I care to think about!

But with all that said, I'm really not a "bad driver." True, I've had a couple of mishaps, but most were early on in my driving career and I thought I had outgrown them.... at least I thought that until yesterday!

We were so fortunate to be loaned a car for a few months here in India. I was itching to drive, but I had to overcome a few problems. First, the car is a stick shift. I've had a little history in this department, but I definitely needed a refresher course. Second, the steering wheel is on the right side of the car, and you drive on the left side of the road. Just to be on the safe side, I took a test drive yesterday with the family. I was especially impressed with my ability to drive. I was fairly smooth at changing gears and the car only stalled once. With all my confidence, I was ready for the trip to the mall.

We loaded up. Things were going great... until I came to an intersection. I forgot to mention that driving in India is quite a different experience from the US. Though there are lanes on the roads, no one adheres to them. I've never really noticed a speed limit, and cars, motorcycles, scooters, buses, and dumptrucks are often found on the wrong side of the road if they feel like driving over there! The intersection I turned in to was no different. Vehicles and 2-wheelers were everywhere. And. Then. I. Stalled. Out. The car shut off because I was in too high of a gear. I managed to get the car started back up. Just as I was giving it gas, a speedy blue motorcycle attempted to get around the traffic jam that I had caused, and unfortunately for him, my tank "bumped" him. By "bumped," I don't mean a slight shove. I mean this poor man broke his leg and his wrist. Mass panic quickly arose.

A sea of people began to stop on bikes and get out to assist the man. Jason got out, but there was little he could understand because our Hindi is so limited. Eventually, we found ourselves at the police station trying to figure out the plan of action in such an event. Thankfully, we have a wonderful landlord that came to the station to assist us. Though I had already begun to envision myself living out a lifetime sentence in an Indian prison, the repercussions were not as tragic. We helped pay medical bills for the unlucky man that was hit and a fine to the police.

I've replayed the event in my head a million times. Other than the fact that I stalled out in the intersection, the motorcyclist and I were both just in the wrong place at the wrong time. In the midst of the event, I couldn't help but recall the owner of the Cadillac I backed in to when I was 16. Her father and two daughters had been hit getting out of their vehicle by a drunk driver on Christmas Eve. All three were killed. Her response to me hitting her car was, "It's only a car!" Though the man did suffer some injuries, I'm so thankful it wasn't serious!

Don't worry though... I'm not down for the count! I intend to drive again. Mistakes are how we learn, right?