Technical Difficulties

My cousin teased me when I confessed to her how worried I was to go scuba diving. I quote her: "If I know you, as we speak, you are copying the whole book in four languages right now. And you are doing a cross cultural reference of the impact of scuba on different cultural areas."



When instructing me in pilates, my instructor had to drill the technical, anatomical, choreographic, and  equipment terminology concepts in my head. He even tapped on my forehead in exasperation! I am a thorough student but not always a quick learner....



Driving is basically my current profession, now that I drive my kids to and from school and activities. But driving didn't come so naturally to me at the beginning. I was fortunate enough to pass the driving test in the most indulgent country, the USA, and still I managed to fail the test the first time. All that truly is required there is to be 16 and capable of filling a form at the DMV without being intimidated by the weirdest people who stand in line alongside you.

Does anyone remember the cartoon character, Mr Magoo? The bespectacled little old man, who probably inspired the looks of the modern cartoon character in "Up!", was my designated driving teacher. We drove the beautiful roads of New England together in his blue Chrysler. I watched the foliage followed by the snow and even the spring rains. The exam didn't even include parallel parking and was on an automatic car. Yet, when the examiner asked me in the first three minutes of the test to leave the parking lot, I forgot how to put the car in reverse, with that strange American mechanism that is attached to the steering wheel. That is how I failed my first test! I still am incapable of driving a manual car.



When my younger brother and his wife gifted me with scuba lessons, they unknowingly thrust me in that awkward and challenging position of being tested again for technical knowledge. I spent over an hour, assembling and disassembling diving equipment! What's most difficult is to memorize when to use what!



Granted, in pilates class, I have managed to use the pole equipment, the reformer, the cadillac, the barrel and the chair at Club Stretch, and when playing golf, I can differentiate one golf club from another. However, in each of those instances, my life does not depend on that knowledge!



This makes me wonder why the little mermaid tried so hard to breathe and walk on terra firma when I am trying so hard to live her life in the Big Blue....The grass is always greener on the other side!