Driving out Preston Highway early one morning, I noticed an orange and white Volkswagen Campmobile sitting on a Used Car Sales Lot. An artist friend of  mine owned one and I knew this fortunate sighting was a solution to my problem of needing a larger vehicle to transport my paintings and setup displays to both outdoor and indoor  art exhibitions.

The salesman assured me that I would become proficient in no time with learning to drive a stickshift, so I made arrangements for its purchase.

Fast forward to the learning process which found my Daughter and Grandaighter riding shotgun while I proceeded to drive around and around in a Chestnut Street parking lot. 

Being bored with my practice agenda, little Amber complained, “Are we ever going to drive on the street?”

It took another two weeks for me to be able to put that Campmobile in reverse so all my trips had to be in a forward direction. So much for the Salesman’s comment. That taught me a life lesson, “Always go forward!”

Later the husband of one of my art students fashioned an extension for the rear bumper that allowed me to haul my display racks on the outside of the van instead of taking up valuable room inside. Another life lesson-“Thank those who help solve your problems!”