Exit 12

Whether or not someone knew my father, most people are aware of the fact that he was a car enthusiast. Between my brother and my Dad there was no escaping "car talk." Hearing a mixture of letters and numbers in conversation usually meant they were talking about different car models. It was like their own language that my mother and I were never able to unscramble.

One car that I will always hold close to my heart couldn't even be considered a car. But rather, it was a very large truck that I always needed a boost just to get in.This car, a white Ford F350, was the car I learned to drive in. After breaking into the dump at night, we switched seats and he would let me take the lead. We did laps, figure eights, parking, reversing, and anything else we could come up with that would make me a better driver. He never yelled at me when we were driving and his calm tone was exactly what I needed whenever I got nervous.

"Drop your shoulders," he would say.

This is all I needed to hear in order to turn a nerve racking situation into a learning experience.

One day, my Dad decided I was ready to take my skills to the streets. Let me inform you, I didn't have my permit and the car I was driving for this lesson was a brand new Mercedes G55. I thought I was just going to pull out, take a right, and drive the two minutes it takes to get home. Instead he told me to take a left, out of town, into an intersection, onto the highway (Route 128), around two busy rotaries, and eventually off exit 12.

Unfortunately, I was unaware that in order to get onto an off ramp you have to slow down, like way down. While I was quickly approaching the giant green sign that indicates the exit, my father spoke the words that he knew I needed to hear, "drop your shoulders." I took a deep breath and turned just in time to avoid an accident.

All I wanted to do was give up but my Dad wouldn't let me. He made me drive all the way home.

Moral of the story... Don't let a girl without her permit drive an unregistered vehicle. And always,
drop your shoulders.

I would like to thank my brother AJ, for sharing some of their secret language with me.
Just some of the cars he has collected over the years:
BMW M Coupe
BMW M5

BMW Alpina B7

Land Rover Defender ‘98

Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera

Mercedes S550

Mercedes CLS55 AMG

Two Mercedes G55 AMG’s

Mercedes E63 AMG Wagon

Mercedes E55 AMG Wagon

Dodge SRT 10 Viper

Three Porsche Cayenne Turbo’s

Porsche Carrera RS

Porsche GT3

Porsche 911 Turbo

Porsche Junior Tractor

Three Porsche 356’s

Porsche Speedster

Audi RS4

Ford F350