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.
