Kind of like riding a motorcycle. Right hand - throttle, left hand - clutch, right foot - rear brake, left foot - shifter. Then you still have to work the front brake, the turn signals, the choke, and the horn... with all your other hands... Huh??

Old column shifters had plastic and rubber bushings in some key places. When the plastic or rubber disintegrated, sometimes the linkage would get all jammed up. Usually, though, you would have 1st & reverse or 2nd & 3rd. I agree with Don; 1st & 2nd are at opposite ends of two different shift gates. Make sure your trans is OK first before spending money on a column.