My Story #28:

 

My Story #28:

When I first went to Lexington, Kentucky, in 1962, after graduating from high school at 17 years old, I began classes at Fugazzi Business College, where I completed a comprehensive study in about 15 months (equivalent to an associate degree). While there, I began to attend Ashland Avenue Baptist Church.

I had to walk to school many city blocks every day and had no other transportation. After I graduated from Fugazzi, I went to work at First National Bank and Trust Company in Lexington. Before I could drive, I had to borrow money from the bank (which I did) and purchase a car. Then I had to obtain my driver's permit. The car dealer brought the car to the house where I lived and parked it there.

Having to use hand controls to drive, I drew out on paper what I thought would be a good strategy to build a hand control for the car. I took it to a machine shop in town and asked them about making the hand controls. They changed a thing or two and built the hand controls. I remember the cost on the bill was: "parts = $5.00" and "labor = $40.00. That was a complete week's paycheck.

When I got my permit, I had to drive with a licensed driver; and I had met a 16-year-old boy across the street from my house who had just received his driver's license. I asked him if he would go with me to drive, and he was crazy enough to say "yes." I started driving and drove directly into downtown Lexington. My landlady had told me to "just stay between the white lines." That helped, not that I did not already know that.

In a week or two, I went to the courthouse to take my driver's test. The policeman who got in the car with me was shocked to see the hand control and asked me if I had power steering and breaks. When I said "no," he said "Well, I don't know about this." Neither did I. When we had completed the 30-minute test, he said, "That beats all I've ever seen." I got my license. This changed my whole life. My own mother had to write me a letter and ask me, "Are you ever going to come home and see us?" (We did not have cell phones then, and her call to me would have been long distance with a charge). Then I had to be sure to go home more often to satisfy my family. By this time I was acclimated to the Lexington area, and my life went on from there.