Riding high

Fortune favors the brave. Or so some people say.

I came face to face with fear last night.

You see, Bloggie, I haven't rented a car since I arrived. The closest I got to driving was when I spent one weekend with my Aunt where she let me drive her mean SUV inside the village at 40mph tops. Out on the freeway, you should go no lower than 65mph. Out on the freeway, a greenhorn like me will look like an irredeemable sissy being relentlessly bullied by overeager juvenile delinquents with road rage.

Last night. Last night, I decided to take up the challenge. Jean didn't want to go with me. I venture he is kinda having this idea - and kinda correctly, I confess - that I am not as brave as I appear. Gosh. I needed someone...in the passenger seat, at least? Virgie's husband, Tan, agreed to take me to Hertz to pick up the car, then I'd drive the rented wheels alone back to my flat. I guess I had no choice.

I was pleasantly surprised when Hertz upgraded my car at no extra cost to me. (I winked, perhaps?) I got a sleek 2006 Toyota Avalon with just 8 miles of usage. Great! At this point, I think I was still fine.

It was totally different once I got inside the car. Without warning, I got paralyzed with the thought of driving on the freeway. I unraveled, to say the least. I literally froze in my seat. After half an hour of total inertia, Tan decided he'd go fetch Virgie. I waited for another forty-five minutes before Virgie eased herself into the passenger seat.

After an eternity and another prayer, I started the engine. Blackie, my new friend-car, has a built-in GPS. Bless him! I must've called on all the saints as I drove off and onto 101, THE freeway.

Surprisingly, and quite unexpectedly, I got comfortable. So comfortable in fact that Virgie and I reached home earlier than Tan. Strangely hilarious, if you ask me.

Today, Blackie took me to and from my very first client engagement. I couldn't suppress a laugh as I remember when I did not connect and got out of synch with the directions. I didn't mind. I was having fun.

Fear is good. Fun, even. There's just a catch, though. You gotta face up to it until it backs away. Where it ends, fun begins.