Flashback Friday #243

Driver's Ed



Hello. Care to take a stroll down memory lane with me? If you do, please make sure you look both ways before you cross seeing that there are some new drivers around here.

I told you back in Flashback Friday #219 getting my learner's permit to drive. One other thing that had to be done before I could get my driver's license was to take a driver's training course. My high school offered this class. I was put into a car with three other beginning drivers and an instructor that should have been awarded a medal of courage.

 His name was Mr. Instructor. He was a math teacher at the Junior High. He was also an assistant football coach. I had never had him for any classes while I was at in 7th or 8th grade. But he knew two of my fellow students.

Jeb Laton was a tall, lanky guy that had played football in Junior High so he was well known to Mr. Instructor. Lydia Duckling (whom Lady Nottaguy-TYG knew as Lydia Corridor when she worked with her) had not only been in Mr. Instructor's math class, but also in his home room. The other student driver was Cindy Sax. She had moved here about a year before. I knew her pretty well seeing that she was Toni's neighbor.

Seeing that I had never had Mr. Instructor for any classes, I figured he didn't know me. He said right off that he knew Jeb & Lydia. When he asked the names of his other two students, Cindy gave her's then I gave mine. A shock of revelation came across his face. He did know me, but he hadn't seen me since Junior High and I had lost twenty or so pounds since then. He said "I didn't recognize you". I had forgotten that near the end of my 8th grade year, I had wanted to play football, and got the physical sheet for the doctor to sign (see Flashback Friday #115). He must have done some scouting on those that had signed up. He would have been my coach if my parents would have allowed me to play. He was quite impressed with the shape I was in.

But I digress. This is a post about driving, not football. We each hade to do several laps around the school parking lot before we were ever allowed to go out onto the open road. Mr. Instructor wanted to make sure that we knew all the controls so he wouldn't have to use the brake petal on his side. Prehaps that's why he still had dark hair. That or he had a good suppy of Grecian Formula.