Shifting Gears

Shifting gears..... I think the first time I drove a straight shift, it was a major boost for my self-esteem, interesting enough, I think anytime we shift gears, it is good for our self-esteem. That is one of the things that a vision board does, it causes a subtle shifting (at first) in our gears. I did my board back in January, but the more I look at it and think about it, I think I may do another one for my birthday.

Shifting gears......Rick and I had only been married a couple of years and I needed a car.

At the time money was very scarce in the Watson house, so we shopped around and figured I could buy a Honda Civic.....the most basic one made. That meant no air-conditioning, no automatic

transmission. It looked like a little red converse tennis shoe. The day we signed the loan,

Rick had to hurry back to work. Here I stand, with the car salesman and as he hands me the keys I say, "ok, let me get this straight, first gear.....you drive really really slow, second gear.....

you speed up, third gear, you're doing maybe thirty miles per hour and fourth gear, that's the fastest? oh yeah, and you use the clutch every time you shift gears, right?" He looked at me with horror in his eyes........"you don't know how to drive a stick shift?" I answered, " that's right, but no big deal, I can do this". He kept insisting that someone from the car lot drive me home. Finally, I just told him I had to learn sometime, it might as well be today. I drove myself home. After that, every car I ever owned until I got Ingrid was a stick. I miss that shifting, I am really good at it.

Shifting gears......that subtle, sometimes not so subtle shift in energy that you feel when change is in the air. There are many reasons to feel the shift, spring is in the air, I have a birthday coming up, and I am ready for change. These past few days have in some ways felt stale, February was such an exciting month, the momentum seems to have shifted, and I am trying to figure out how to get it back. I wish there was a stick shift for life, that it was that easy and that quick, just pop the clutch, shift and go.