With my 17th birthday in just a mere matter of hours, I feel the need to talk about my birthday. Since my 17th birthday has not happened yet, I started looking back on my previous birthdays. The ones that stick out to me the most are, naturally, the most recent ones.
On my 15th birthday, I remember one thing sticking out in my mind: getting a permit. This meant I was one step closer to freedom, which meant driving whenever and wherever I wanted. I remember studying the 127 page long driver’s manual to get ready for my permit test. I studied the packet until I knew every word front and back. Thankfully when I went to take the test, I passed the first time. I had never driven before, not counting the few times I had driven in the Ravenwood parking lot, so my parents decided to enroll me in Driver’s Ed. After spending what seemed like a lifetime stuck in the classroom every Saturday beginning at 8am, I finally passed Driver’s Ed. The next step in Driver’s Ed is to drive with an instructor, who THANK GOODNESS has their own steering wheel and brakes. I took these driving lessons in December, when it gets dark at 5 PM. Of course my lessons had to be at 5PM. The night before my first lesson, I realized I had never driven at night. I hopped in the car with my mom, and we drove aimlessly. One minute I was on a seemingly nice road, the next I was on a windy, dark, unmarked road. Needless to say I was scarred, and I switched seats with my mom in the middle of the road. When the instructor came to my house the next night, the first thing he asks is, “You’ve driven before so your not going to kill me, right?” I just laughed, and didn’t answer. I got the hang of driving eventually, and was starting to drive everywhere, with a licensed drive over the age of eighteen in the front seat of course.
On my 16th birthday I decided to get my license. Little did I know you have to make an appointment at the DMV before getting your license. Making an appointment the day of my birthday, the soonest I could get in was October 6th. I wasn’t too nervous going into the test, but I got nervous as I was sitting in the car waiting for my instructor to come. He told me where to go, and I listened. We got back to the DMV, and he told me I was getting my license. I was embarrassed when we got out of the car seeing that I had parked in two parking spaces. Thankfully, he didn’t take my license away because of my bad parking job.
I am now 17, I have a car, and I drive everywhere. Driving isn’t as big a deal now as it was when I was just starting out. I now consider driving a part of daily life, but I never stop getting excited over birthdays!
This brings back wonderful memories.
kory 