One of the pleasurable skills teenagers are curious to learn is “driving.” Some teenagers see it as a way of gaining freedom and independence, as a teenager many years ago, I had a similar feeling which led my mother, a cautious and experienced driver, to insist that I wait until I turned 20 before I start my driving lessons. Though I was sad and felt overprotected, I now got to understand it was made out of love and concern for my safety.
When clocked the age of 20, my eagerness increased and I remember how I spent hours reading the driver’s manual, admiring cars on YouTube, and subconsciously preparing for the moment I would finally sit in the driver’s seat. After several reminders to my parents, they finally agreed I start the car lesson, my mother accompanied me to her car and handed me over to my tutor who was elderly so that I could be of good behavior.
The lesson I got from my driving lesson is that curiosity can cause huge damage - as the car lesson started, I did not pay absolute attention because of over-excitement. At the same time, I felt overconfident because the manuals and YouTube tutorials I've watched could possibly make me a good driver. This was when I knew real-life application differs from online tutorials. When I was two weeks old in the lesson, my tutor guided me on how to steer the wheel and start the engine, meanwhile before now, I was shown how to adjust the driver’s seat and mirrors, fasten the seatbelt, check the engine oil in the vehicle, and familiarizing myself with the controls - the lesson was so boring because my whole aim to drive. When the driving moment came, my first drive was a memorial and a testimony of my survival. Without mixing words, my eagerness caused me a big mistake. Instead of setting the gear to 'Drive,' I accidentally set it to 'Reverse.' As I pressed the accelerator, the car went backward at a surprising speed. Before my tutor could respond quickly, I had reversed into a tree behind me, and a hit caused great damage.
My parents' concern wasn’t on the car but if the tutor and I were ok, I came out disappointed and embarrassed and my heart kept racing when I realized the situation. This incident caused my parents to extend the age to 22 before I could learn to drive; this time it wasn’t out of curiosity I wanted to learn, but it was a necessity because my dad needed an assistant in conveying his good to different places. When the car was repaired, the only I did during that period was to wash it for my mum before she went to work, lol.
At exactly 22 years old, I was a pro in driving despite the little tutor I was given; why? The lesson I got from the previous scene got me to learn secretly. I went as far as learning car racing games to know how to over obstacles. Today, I am grateful to my parents who took a good step in disciplining me; as I look back on my first driving experience it is a mixture of amusement and gratitude. Though I had a good start in watching tutorials online, because of curiosity, my dream was shattered for the next two years. Indeed, the lessons I learned that day have stayed with me, reminding me of patience, practice, and a willingness to learn from mistakes.
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