On Why I Want to Pass My Driving Test
At least, it’s the reason I’m citing at this point in time. It’s my primary motivation outside simply ‘knowing how to drive’. While an undeniably useful skill, it is perhaps less necessary than it has been in over a century to know how to drive a car. It’s simply no longer a prerequisite. But I still want to pass my test. Because of some complicated reasons I don’t feel necessary to explain, I can only resume learning to drive starting this September. That only has me more excited, because unlike a lot of things I’m dealing with right now – there is a comforting degree of certainty attached to this whole affair.
I’ve had quite a few lessons already. Every Saturday when I was at university, I’d take the tube from central London west just a bit to where my instructor was. There wasn’t as much traffic, I had more space to learn complex manoeuvres – it was great. I, unfortunately, was not. Don’t get me wrong, I can drive, but unless it’s an emergency, I definitely shouldn’t. When it comes to anything physical – sports, instruments, and driving, apparently – I am a really slow learner. It can be frustrating, but in the case of driving, there is one upside. I basically learned every way not to do something before ‘mastering’ it, and that is a price I’m more than willing to pay.
See, I’m a hypochondriac, and I have to be certain I can do anything before I do it, or one of two things will happen. Either I mess it up and it sucks, or I don’t mess it up but so many alarm bells go off in my head while doing it so as to ruin the experience entirely. But if each of those alarm bells has been individually tested – repeatedly – I can proceed with less caution. I am curious, though, to see how this whole process reacts to 6 months of not being behind the wheel. It can only be a good thing, I imagine, really testing my knowledge and reinforcing weak points. Even if I pass my practical test, I wouldn’t want to drive until I feel comfortable and confident doing so. I’m not there yet, but anticipate that being achievable – with a lot of practice.
To get to the crux of the piece two-thirds into it, I want to be able to drive because of a little house in France. My grandmother lived in the countryside there, in a beautiful, remote part of an already gorgeous country. I love going there, and while it can be wonderful to go with the family, I have always looked forward to being able to visit on my own. All of the positive adjectives I’ve used to describe it are only intensified in my mind if I’m there alone. There is one predictable wrench in that plan – its remoteness is both a boon and a bane. No matter which way you swing it, you need to be able to drive to get there. As things stand currently, that isn’t an option. But it will be, as soon as I pass my practical test – and pass I will – because it is simply worth it for me. And just thinking about it is a powerful enough motivation, which is exciting, because rare is the motivation I’ve had that comes from within.