Last June I got my learner's license after drivingaround a mall parking lot a few times in an automatic car. Soon after, I went onvacation to a small town in Colorado. My dad thought this would be the perfectplace for me to learn how to drive a stick-shift, even though I didn't have mylicense with me. I thought it would be fun, so we went out to some country roads.

It was a little hard at first, but I caught on quickly. My dad told me Iwas doing well enough to drive around in town.

On the way into town I cameto a stop sign, so I stopped, then started to turn. While turning, I hit a roughspot in the road. To prevent the car from going all over the place I held on tothe steering wheel, which was a big mistake. Since I didn't let the steeringwheel go back into place, the car kept moving to the left. I didn't know what todo so I panicked and stepped on the gas, and before I could realize what washappening, I hit a fence.

Actually, I didn't just hit it, I knocked a goodbit of it down. When the car stopped, I didn't know what to do. I didn't knowwhat was going to happen - I didn't have my learner's license with me, I hadwrecked someone's fence and my dad's car was a mess. I really, really wanted tocry, but my dad wouldn't let me. He told me these things happen and I shouldn'tworry. I was really surprised because I thought he would go ballistic.

Icalmed down a bit and we sat there and waited for the person whose fence I hadwrecked and the sheriff to come. When they arrived, I got nervous all over again.At first the lady seemed really mad, but she wasn't. She told us that as long aswe fixed the fence, she didn't care. This made me feel much better.

Then the sheriff came over. What was he going to say? What was he going to do? Tomy surprise, he told me that he wasn't going to give me a ticket and that as longas we fixed the fence, everything would be fine. I was so happy. My dad and Ibought some wood and repaired the fence.

After it was all over, I feltreally relieved. Most people have at least one accident while driving, and I washappy I had gotten mine over with.