Originally published on September 4, 2017
I’ve written articles before about how I’m different. I’m
left-handed. I play the oboe. (Those are my main ice breakers). But one thing
I’ve been keeping close to my chest except among people I’m close to is until
about two weeks ago, I didn’t have my driver’s license. I got it on my half
birthday, to be exact, meaning I’m six months from 21. And the thing is, I had
my permit for over a year. Which means I went through all of high school and a
good chunk of college without ever getting behind the wheel (except in some
very controlled parking lot circumstances, which were enough for me to say “no
thanks”).
I could spend this article explaining my whole situation,
because there was more going on than just not wanting to drive, but that would
be way too long. Instead, I’m going to focus down on the heart of what I think
this situation is: doing something when you’re ready.
My biggest advice to anyone who might not have their license
or is facing some other large undertaking is don’t do it until you’re ready. It
may seem like simple, cliché advice, but it’s true. Driving, to me, was not
about having freedom and independence, being able to go somewhere on my own and
leave when I want without having to wait for a ride. It was about having the
responsibility of a very large, heavy, expensive machine that is capable of
bringing great damage to myself and others if handled incorrectly. Once I got
through that mentality, it was easy to not think about what I was doing and
just drive. The test was not some long journey full of trick situations, just a
ten minute drive around the block in the rain (mental bonus points for handling
wipers correctly!). And while I still have a long way to go (snow driving is a
big obstacle), I am so much more comfortable than I was a year ago. I was
ready, I did it, and now I’m here.
There was always the self-conscious part of me that wondered
if I was the oldest person to ever learn how to drive. My driving instructor
assured me I was not. Teenagers years younger than me were driving, but there
were plenty of ways to make sure they were ready, despite being younger. It’s
not just about passing the test. Number of passengers and curfews are just a
couple ways younger drivers are limited for their own safety. Because you can
certainly pass the written, and if you put in the hours and have the right
examiner you can pass the test. First try, even. But mentally, you have to be
in the right place, and honestly, not every teenager is there.
This article isn’t supposed to be some grand metaphor about
life. I literally had to get around a mental roadblock in order to put myself
in the right mindset to “get it done”. So if you’re standing on a similar
precipice and not sure how to proceed, find your roadblock. Take all the time
you need to get through it, and then do. You’ll feel better than if you just
dove off without thinking.
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