My Own Desert Island

My first time alone behind the wheel of a car was at the age of 13. After a long hot day of working on the farm I was asked to go pick melons for dessert.

The look in my eyes must have said, “Over my dead body!” but I was told to just take the truck and go and get them. I got a second wind and tore out of the house, jumped in the truck, turned the key, put it into gear and off I went. I had a sense of freedom out there all on my own behind the wheel.

I came back in one piece, with the melons and truck intact. OK, I hit a pheasant on the way back, but that wasn’t my fault. It came out of nowhere and flew into the grill of the truck.

So why is it that when Pete and I are out for a day of fishing and he asks, “Do you want to drive today?” I immediately answer, “NO!”

If I had to do it in case of an emergency I could and of course would. I have driven it a few times in the past, in the rain and in decent size waves but for some reason I don’t like to drive the boat. That’s strange since I have my own “boat” in the driveway that I love driving with the top down any day when it’s over 60 degrees.

Upon getting back to the ramp after a day of fishing, I look around at all of the people pulling their boats out of the water and wait for Pete to ask: “Boat or trailer?” Truth be told, even after all these years, my trailer backing skills aren’t perfected enough, so I usually say, “Boat.”

It’s been 16 years of me watching from the passenger seat but just like learning to throw a baitcaster I won’t be learning to back a trailer well from the husband (sorry Pete).

Recently I decided that on this particular day I would once again put the boat on the trailer. If you know me, that’s all I thought about from the time I woke up until it was time to “bring it to the house” (Pete’s way of saying it’s time to go in). After Pete parked the boat close to the dock and lowered the Power Poles he went to get the trailer. The anticipation was killing me. He backed the trailer in, pulled up the Power Poles, and that was my cue to back up, avoid hitting the dock while doing so, and then get up enough speed so I could drive the boat up onto the trailer. Engine on, Power Poles up, I threw it into reverse (I am anxious just writing this) and as I was drifting backwards I began to spin off to the right and I realized I just needed to put it in forward, make a circle and drive up onto the trailer. My problem was that I didn’t realize that I needed to give the boat more gas to do all these things, so I was just left out there drifting all on my own as if I was on a desert island.

“GET A GRIP,” I told myself. “Pull it together. You have to do this. Pete can’t save you. Pete is going to get annoyed and start giving directions which would almost definitely confuse me. BREATHE. Figure it out and go.”

I gave it a little more gas which I realized made me not drift and I was able to drive the boat right onto the trailer. Perfect on the first try, but what a mental nightmare.

I think it is time to ask for help.

WANTED: Calm, understanding, experienced boat driver who knows how to deal with a redhead. I’m pretty sure that compensation can be made in Senkos.