▁of ▁three ▁girls , ▁and ▁also ▁had ▁a ▁younger ▁brother ▁named ▁George ▁Carter , ▁Jr . ▁ ▁Her ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁wealth y ▁business man , ▁while ▁Lucy ▁was ▁an ▁original ▁en rol lee ▁of ▁the ▁Ch ick as aw ▁Nation . ▁Pear l ▁evidently ▁es ch ew ed ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁traditional ▁activities ▁of ▁young ▁Ch ick as aw ▁women . ▁Instead , ▁she ▁acquired ▁her ▁own ▁autom obile ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁only ▁eleven ▁years ▁old , ▁and ▁had ▁learned ▁to ▁drive ▁herself ▁by ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁twelve . ▁Pear l ▁said ▁late ▁in ▁her ▁life ▁that ▁her ▁father ▁was ▁blind , ▁and ▁that ▁she ▁had ▁served ▁as ▁his ▁eyes , ▁so ▁she ▁accompanied ▁him ▁everywhere , ▁whether ▁in ▁his ▁office ▁or ▁collect ing ▁r ents ▁out ▁on ▁the ▁far ms . ▁She ▁also ▁said ▁that ▁she ▁spent ▁her ▁whole ▁child hood ▁talking ▁with ▁adult s . ▁ ▁Pear l ▁in ▁the ▁air ▁Not ed ▁pione er ▁av i ator ▁W iley ▁Post ▁was ▁a ▁friend ▁of ▁the ▁Carter ▁family ▁and ▁visited ▁their ▁home ▁from ▁time ▁to ▁time . ▁One ▁of ▁his ▁vis its ▁occurred ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 , ▁when ▁Pear l ▁was ▁twelve ▁years ▁old . ▁He ▁gave ▁Pear l ▁and ▁her ▁father ▁their ▁first ▁ride ▁in ▁an ▁air plane . ▁She ▁was ▁totally ▁ent hr alled ▁by ▁the ▁experience , ▁later ▁saying : ▁ ▁" I ▁knew ▁right ▁then , ▁while ▁I ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁air ▁with ▁W iley ▁that ▁first ▁day , ▁that ▁I ▁would ▁fly