A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend. How you use the prompt is up to you. Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like. Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise.
I find the word and varying word counts a refreshing challenge. This week the word “Horizon” took me down a different avenue without a GPS. Who’d ever heard of those in 1980? We didn’t even have a CB Radio yet. “Kick ‘er back. Come on, now.”
Many thanks to Sammi Cox who posts this prompt challenge every week.
Our 1980 Plymouth Horizon was a lovely shade of mauve with four on the floor.
“Left foot clutch, right foot gas,” my husband said. “It will become second nature.”
I did learn with a few bounces, lurches and pops along the way.
Fast forward thirty-nine years.
Every time my precious 6-speed’s in the shop it happens. Did you know loaner cars never come with standard transmission?
Both feet hit the brakes. It’s second Nature.
***
Fields Family 1980 © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields-Addicted to Purple 
I’ve never owned a car which changes gear all by itself! They’re still very much in the minority in the UK.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Keith,
Ah to be in the UK. I’m just not sure I could get used to driving on the “wrong” side of the road. Thanks for the read.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
A great little flashback on one of our earlier vehicles. And so true about you trying to drive a n automatic now. Who knew back then what was on the horizon for you?
LikeLiked by 3 people
Brilliant comment, m’luv. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
I remember the days i learned to drive stick
.. Love the family photo circa…..
LikeLiked by 2 people
Dear Violet,
At the time the Horizon was going to be his car and my Toyota had to go in the shop. I had no choice. Now I hate driving automatics. Go figure. Thank you re the photo. I was proud of those suits. I made them. (Never again.) We were one son short there. Golden haired surprise came 3 years later.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Ha no form of driving is second nature to me. 😀 Cool story
Shalom,
Ronda
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Ronda,
I’m actually very grateful for that. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Dear Rochelle,
Sometimes I miss a stick-shift, other times, not so much. Like when you are stuck in traffic… ugh 😉
Fun one!
Shalom and Lotsa love,
Dale
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Dale,
There are times a stick-shift can be a pain. I still like it though. I can’t believe where these word prompts keep sending me…in a matter of minutes. Thanks my friend. 😀
Shalom and hugs,
Rochelle
LikeLike
I like that they bring a whole other you out…
LikeLiked by 1 person
😉 😀 ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
💜💜😘💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lovely flashback. ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Still Loved ❤
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
You create such a clear picture of the car – funny isn’t you some memories stay vivid. I’ve never driven an automatic car. Had a Citroen with no manual handbrake – it was automatic- I loathed having to stop on a hill ! Didn’t trust the car.
LikeLike
Dear Francine,
I seem to remember rolling backward on hills in that Horizon. They’ve improved on that since then. My Cruz doesn’t roll backward although my husband complains about it’s power going uphill. 😉 There are some memories that do stay vivid. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
My first car was a ’78 Mustang, colors dark brown with tan interior. Nothing to write home about and worst of all, an automatic. But it fit what I could afford, so there’s that.
I fell in love with manual transmissions on a road trip upstate many years ago. We had a Volvo station wagon that navigated snow and sleet as if it was a summer day. I was hooked.
Lovely memories of a horizon, Ms Rochelle. The stops and starts and sways and most of all the way it parks snugly into your memory banks.
Shalom,
Marco
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Marco,
Well, by 78 automatics were more prevalent. My first car was an auto stick shift VW Beetle. You can read a little about it here. 😉 https://rochellewisoff.com/2017/07/19/21-july-2017/
Although my earliest experience with stick shift was pop and go, it did begin a long love affair with the standard transmission. In 2011 I had to search hard for one.
Thank you for your magnificent comment. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
I loved my Mustang, because it was mine. I didn’t hold the automatic thing against it.
A Bug? I remember when they ruled the road! Those were the days, tell you what. Thank you for the link!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really loved my bug. Pretty much for the same reason you loved your Mustang. It was my first car. There was a long stretch where it looked like I’d never have a license let alone a car. You see I scored -51 on my drivers ed driving test. I aced the written test but froze behind the wheel. If you could do it wrong I did it twice as wrong. 😉 Hope you enjoy the link. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ugh! I failed my first driving test as well. I took mine in Jamaica Queens. The parallel parking is what did me in.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I once tried to parallel park and somehow ended up with the passenger side wheels on the sidewalk. I will never know how I did that, but in retrospect I wish I’d had a camera. 😉 I will now go blocks away to not have to parallel park.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That took some doing! I would have ADDED points to your score, but that’s just me. 🙂
LikeLike
With the confusing exception of my cousin’s car, only a few times, in the spring of ’81, I’ve never driven a standard transmission. Being a lefty, it may get me crazy
LikeLike
Dear Larry,
I can see where driving a standard might be confusing for a lefty. Unless of course, you drove one in the UK. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
I owned the same type and color car, except it was an ’85! I absolutely loved it 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Nova,
It’s funny how mine started out being my husband’s car and ended up being mine. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike