Driving update
July 2nd 2004
Well, I just had one of the worst driving experiences of my life.
You know that saying, pride goeth before a fall? Well I must have been too prideful lately. Either that, or complacent. I had been asking myself ruefully the past few lessons and times out with Chris why driving seemed easier now, if I was just being a baby about my experiences in high shool, or at least telling myself that I was fine and was taking to it naturally. My first intimations that things maybe aren’t going so well was in my lesson last Wednesday. I totally muffed parking on a hill (I know! how hard is that?) and a few questions the instructor asked me made me realise I really don’t use my mirrors well, and even though I do look, I am wondering if I am just looking and not seeing or retaining information. So I was already doubting myself a little.
We went out to do errands today, and I drove. I need to get more practice time in, and this is the best way to do it. I drove up to Trent to move my computer into my office, and try and get my key cut and get some other issues sorted out. I have a full-size office which is very cool, and a real desk, which is even cooler, but my chair seems to have gone missing. Bad as it was, it is still better than the orange plastic chair into which it seems to have been transformed.
On the way home, we decided to get groceries, which is a little nerve-wracking, because I have to go on some busier streets and a little bit of a scary intersection. But things were fine! I even managed to back in to the parking spot without too much trouble.
It all fell down though as I tried to back into the driveway. I know! All that, only to be defeated at home. Somehow, I lost completely my sense of where the car was in space, and also how to aim the car where I want it to go. I don’t know if it was fatigue or what. Anyhow, on one attempt, I backed (slowly) into the phone box, and at the same time also broke the property stake my neighbour put in when he was building his fence.
Chris freaked out and started telling me “I should KNOW how to do this!” which quite frankly doesn’t help when I obviously have lost it, and him being agitated totally brought back my anxiety from driving instruction in high school. You know how you can be convinced that you have moved on and things are fine based on a limited set of experiences? Well, I still seem to have some issues regarding driving.
About 8 attempts later, where I kept getting more and more upset and frustrated “Now you are going to hit the house!” I finally got the damn car into the driveway. It was a miracle because I was crying so hard I couldn’t see straight. Embarassing, that, to be standing in the driveway, weeping, trying to open the door. Chris rushed over and tried to comfort me, but all I wanted to do was crawl into a little ball of shame.
Anyhow, I evidently need to not be so cocky with my driving skills, and practice some more. My next lesson is on Wednesday, and if I do well, I think we are booking the test.