Driving Lessons

Check the mirrors. Start the engine. Go. Then Stop. Try not to slam on the brakes. Watch for kids on bikes. Drive between the cones without knocking them down. Don't turn the wheel too hard. Go really slow. Take your time.

Driving lessons. For a beginner, it can feel overwhelming. A major multi-tasking adventure. Parts can be fun, especially when you think you were definitely going to knock down that cone with that sharp turn, but you made it. Or when you actually nail the parallel parking when you thought for sure you wouldn't even come close.

You've been in that blasted parking lot for several weeks getting used to the feel of being behind the wheel, finally making those 180 degree turns with grace and ease after many practice off-the-mark turns to get between them cones from the *other* side.

Then you get on the road. Ah, bliss.

But, of course, now you have even more distractions to deal with: other cars on the road, people walking and texting, More road signs than you can count. Then there's the four way stop, and you don't remember who got there first.

Enter the highway: high speed, fast lane changes, and more drivers than you care to contend with. So you go 45 in a 60 mph zone. And you stay in the slow lane. Very slow lane.

You try to get used to seeing even more road signs and watch other cars pull out onto the highway, some in back, some in front. You hope no one will notice you, or that they'll just drive around you.

But then you notice as the weeks pass, you begin to relax a little. Some of the aspects of handling a vehicle are becoming second nature. You even roll down your window and turn on the radio. And hear one of your favorite songs.

And then you sing your heart out. Because you've succeeded at learning a new, necessary task.
And you're celebrating, like you should be.

Every time you face a new challenge, ease yourself into it. Take it slow. Give yourself time to acclimate to the change. Be gentle with yourself. Be kind in how you respond to the mistakes you make. Because you will make them. It's part of the action in the territory we call life.

Life is a learning experience. Just take it one step, one moment at a time.

You may run into an unexpected detour that takes you out of the way you wanted to go. Don't run into a panic. Just go with the flow. Take it a bit slower around those construction cones. You will run into those things from time to time.

You may find yourself getting lost once in a while, not knowing which way to turn. Because you forgot the directions or wrote down the wrong landmark. Yes, the trip can get confusing on occasion. Just be patient with yourself and ask for help if you need it. There are others who have gone before you and know exactly how to help you find your way home.

But you will make it home. Where you can relax, sit back, and ruminate on the progress you've made.

Don't forget to give yourself a pat on the back for a trip well taken. And for a task well learned.

You may find yourself smiling when you look at your well earned driver's license next time you're ready to take a trip; whether it's just driving to the grocery store or riding off into the sunset.

Enjoy the journey. With the top down, of course.

© 2010 by Dawn Herring