Eliminating Limitations --- In Pinas (Philippines), about 85% of the vehicles in the streets have a manual transmission. My first car, however, was an automatic – a nice, smooth, 2nd hand Honda Civic (Thank you Roy!). So I went around for 2 years not knowing how to drive a manual. All my friends are driving an M/T, so I can neither borrow their car, nor drive for them. So I was useless. The worst part of it all is having this feeling that I am missing something, that I am not in on a secret that everybody already knew about --- and that I am a coward. I hated that feeling. So when I was thinking about buying my next car, I decided to buy a car with an M/T. First week, I despised it… it was just too damn difficult to work with the clutch and the gears (esp 1st gear). My left leg was taking a bad beating. No wonder the Automatic transmission was invented. Four weeks later, however, I have a different opinion. My difficulty was merely a learning curve thing. Now I can stop and drive-up a hill without being scared, and overtaking is no longer a problem baby! I feel really good that I had eliminated one of my limitations. I feel free!