Suzanne Vega writes about learning how to drive:
My first lesson last fall was given by Mr. R., an elderly, gentle Puerto Rican man. I got in the car, an old beat-up Toyota, and started it up. He smiled encouragingly.
“Let’s just go forward,” he said. “Are you nervous? Don’t be nervous. Make a left here.”….
I liked Mr. R. He never yelled. Here was his method: “What color do you think that light was back there?” he would muse.
“Um, green?” I said hopefully as my mind raced: What light? I saw a stop sign, so I turned left. I didn’t see any light.
“It was red” he murmured. “Try not to do that again.”
(Via Lenny at Left Pedal.)