don't drive while laughing

last night LD taught me how to drive a motorbike. it was fun for me and hair-raising for him. i enjoyed the breeze while he sweated buckets. i developed new-found respect for all drivers and solidified my resolve to avoid driving while under the influence.

i learned that driving requires you're full attention. and you have to process all those extraneous information like speed, visibility, traffic, pedestrian movement, etc. while maintaining a firm yet steady grip on the throttle and keeping the darned thing on a straight path.

i kept squeezing the throttle which made us sped up. each time i did that LD would shout, "slow down! slow down! stop squeezing!" which made me let go completely and made us stop. i got nervous as the decibels rose which made me laugh which made him add, "stop laughing!", to his on going litany.

but the most important thing i learned was that fear can and will cloud your senses if you let it. when i looked down that street we were practicing on, i felt my heartbeat rise and my breathing turn shallow. LD's voice sounded teeny and i couldn't understand what i was doing on that street straddling something heavier than I and possibly facing broken bones and scratches if I fell.

but i took a deep breath and resolved to let go of the fear. suddenly, my chest loosened up, my way became clear, and LD's voice receeded. i knew, i just knew, what i should do. and i did it...! i stopped listening to his anxious tone and just focused on what he had taught me.

however, the return trip wasn't such a success. I listened and got confused by LD's instructions and argued with him too much. half-way thru the second pass, he was done. he finally put a stop to his suffering and we went home. he was breathing hard and was sweaty, too.

it was exhilirating but i wonder if he'll continue to teach me. (lol)

i'll just do some research in the mean time. i found this cool site for added info.