When I Failed Driving Test

I am an open person. Ask me anything and I will tell you the truth. Except one time – when I failed the driving test on my sixteenth birthday, I felt like I had to keep it secret and concealed. I could not let anyone know I had failed something – especially, something as important and public as my driving test!
As I entered high school, I considered myself a perfectionist and had thought so ever since I could remember. I had never failed a test before, nor even come close. During my first year, my high-strung tendencies peaked and I was known for having a high-achieving personality. When it came time to drive, I put the same energy and personality into mastering driving as I did with everything else. I only missed two questions on

However, on August 16th, my sixteenth birthday, I learned my confidence and reality were not in sync. After I finished my test with the examiner, we met my mom at the counter inside and reviewed my driving. She started by saying that I was a strong driver, but then told me I made a turn at a two-way stop sign where pedestrians were present. And, then she said the words I thought I would never hear – automatic failure! I was completely speechless. My mom thanked the examiner for her time, and we walked back to the car. The minute that both doors closed, tears rushed down my face and I completely fell apart; the rest of my special day of turning sixteen was completely ruined. Many of my close friends and family called and texted me to ask how I did on the test, but I simply ignored them. Throughout the following days, I came to realize that I was not upset that I did not get my license; I was devastated because everyone would know I had failed a test. I did not want people to know that I was not successful at something. I told my closest friends and family, but made them promise not to tell anyone else. When other peers asked me how I did on my driving