You know what I love...

I love that I was forced to learn how to drive a standard. Because not only does driving a standard seem way more badass than driving an automatic transmission it is more fun (after you get past the stressful part that is).

The funny thing is, although I have been driving manual transmission since I was probably 17 it wasn't until recently that I felt like I actually knew what I was doing. And tonight I drove home from Kensington - which involves things like hills, decelerating, stopping, starting (speedily). It was great. I only screwed up a little pulling into the parking lot because I got lost in the gear shift. But whatever, you can't be perfect at things.

See here's the thing. It occurs to me that so many things in life are just so much easier if you just look at it, analyze it, rationalize it, and go full speed ahead fearless. That is a tall order but amazingly enough more often than not it is fear that stops you from doing things that you could if you would just move past it. And then you get to experience things that you may have never thought you could.

This reminds me of my good old days at the Vulcan Lions Swimming Pool teaching bratty (horrible) junior high kids how to do back dives (ok ok, I taught some pretty awesome kids to do back dives too). You see back dives are essentially very very simple, you just have to not be afraid. You have to commit 100% or you will fall on your back and regret the day you tried. Now trying and failing always makes trying again that much harder. Anyways, back to the back dives. I am convinced that if people trust me I can teach anyone to back dive. There are simple steps that guarantee results, but if you chicken out on any of them it is likely it won't work, you will quit, and I will think you are a sissy - one girl may have cried - but in all honesty she was such a girly girl couldn't try anything that I may have enjoyed those tears. (Can't stand the 'too weak to play' kinda girls).

The key element to a back dive is to arch your back, pushing your stomach up, and look as far back as you can until your eyes find the water. If you follow those few steps you will do it; it is beyond simple, a 100% sure fire thing. But here-in lies the issue, you have to commit whole heartedly all the way. The flip side is, if you do chicken out at the last minute and tuck your chin to your chest (as so many people do causing laughter from me) you will suffer the consequences of a harsh back flop.

So in summary, face those fears, drive a standard in the city at the end of the night, and for goodness sake look backwards for that water!