CARMEN LEE--LIFE IS NOT A VACATION, IT IS A JOURNEY

Day 148, "Every picture has a story"

Yikes!!!  I am getting old "for sure".  Henry, my oldest grandchild has his driving permit!  Where have the years gone?  The story of this picture is this.  The year is 1961.  I had turned 14 in January and had been driving the Ford tractor for MANY years but of course I did not have a drivers license to drive the truck or car.  Well I admit I may not have been able to drive the truck, big red, as you needed to double clutch when you shifted.  You put the clutch in to take it out of gear and then put the clutch in again to put it in another gear.  With the front window cranked a bit open and the stick shift on the floor it was a fun drive.  But I was too young for that .  I even had a bit of difficulty in driving the International M up until I turned about 10 or so because it was not the easiest to reach the clutch.  But here I was in June of 1961.  I was ready to drive the car.  We had, I think, an old 53 Ford which was a manuel transmission I am sure.  Dave could set me right if I am mistaken.  Dad said it was time I get my driver license so we drove up to Forman.  I am not sure but I do not remember studying for any written test.  I could get my license at the age of 14 because I was on the farm.  Dad parked the car in front of the court house and then said he was going to walk north to the Farmers Union station.

The court house where I got my drivers license

I got out of the car and with the confidence of a young strapping guy who had driven for many years I walked up the long sidewalk to the front door.  Even though I was shy to a fault, for some reason I had the idea that this was going to be a walk in the park so to speak.  The department of transportation was on the second floor and I bound up the steps 2 at a time (I can't do that anymore but Mary Lee does it ALL the time!)  I opened the huge heavy wooden door and walked up to the counter where middle age lady who had a smile asked "What can I do for you?"  I took my sweaty hand out of my pocket and put a $5 bill on the counter while saying I was there to take my driving test.  She asked me to take a seat and the highway patrol would be there shortly but before she did that she asked if I had proof of my age.  I was 14 but at 5' 11" and a farmboy build I know I looked like I was a lot older.  I took my birth certificate out of my left pocket and gave it to her.  She looked at it and then looked at me as if I was NOT that person!  After she gave it back she asked me to take a seat.  As I sat there I begin to get the thought that maybe this was not going to be as easy as I thought.  After about 20 minutes this tall burly guy with the funny looking highway patrol hat on came out and asked if I was ready.  At that time in my life I was still unsure of my speech sometimes and I kind of stuttered back that I was ready.  As we walked down the stairs he asked me my name and then who my dad was.  When we got outside where the car was he asked me IF I had driven there as Dad was nowhere to be seen.  I said no that Dad had gone to the Farmers Union station.  I got in the drivers side and he got in the passenger side.  I put the car in reverse and backed out of the parking space.  The patrol asked me to take a right at the next street.  When we hit the next intersection he asked me to take another right.  Again at the next intersection there was a right and then we were at the stop sign on main street where the court house was.  He asked me to park in front of the court house where we had started from.  He took out his papers, scribbled some things on them and then signed them.  As he handed them to me he said, "Great job, you passed".  I thought what the heck.  I didn't do anything but way to go Carmen you now have your real license.  That fall I was a freshman at Sargent Central which was 25 miles from home.  I never drove to school as we only had one car BUT I did drive to the homecoming dance that fall!!!

A couple of day off from tennis.  I could have played this morning but my body said NO.  Terry and I do not have much planned for the weekend.  Maybe we will go out for St. Patrick's Day lunch but not sure about that.  As I think of it maybe not.  There is a parade in downtown Naples.  We have gone to it several times but will avoid the 40,000+ today!

I varied my breakfast a bit this morning by frying slices of sweet patotoes.  I did get them a bit over done but still they were good.  As usual my FP hit the spot at 7:30.  Enough