I woke up at eight in the morning, being that it was May and spring was in the air I knew that my day would be perfect. As I leaped out of my warm and comfortable bed to put on my Bullwinkle slippers, my stomach nerves began to tighten. I figured it was just a small bellyache and I would get over it soon. I walked slowly to the bathroom not really realizing that the house was not filled with sunshine as it usually is during these beautiful spring days. As I began to brush my teeth my eyes caught a glimpse of the window that I now noticed was so close to the mirror. I could have died when I noticed that the rain was coming down like a storm. It was at that moment that I ran to mother’s room to tell her that I couldn’t go driving today. My whole body was tense, I knew this was a sign for me to stay home, I was scared and would never be able to drive in the horrible storm. I don’t know how, but she convinced me to just try, “It’s just a driving test,” is what she continued to repeat, “if you fail, your not ready.” I knew she wanted me to fail anyway.
As she drove into the driveway that seemed to be the size of a football field, my stomach nerves began to tighten once again. There were a few cars in front of us forming a line, and three cars pulled up behind us as soon as the car stopped. I sat in the passenger’s seat watching a car on the winding trail, looking as if it was going back and forth on the course. It seemed as everything that was happening at that moment was irritating me, the tapping of the rain on the car, the windshield wipers swishing back and forth on the windshield and the whining of the saxophone that was playing along with the jazz song on the radio. I knew that my patience was being tested that day and I was sure I would fail. For the next ten minutes I watched as the instructors, that looked as if someone dropped a bucket of water on them even with the yellow raincoats, left one car that was on the course to get into another car that was on the line. The cars seemed to move quickly and it seemed as if my turn was coming to quick.
It was at that moment that I felt like I wanted to cry, the wet figure in the yellow raincoat was approaching our car. I wanted to scream for my mother to turn around but I was stuck in the moment I didn’t know what to do. My mother called me and it reminded me of summer nights when she would call me to come in ...
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...ualities as he kindly explained that I should relax and adjust my car seat to make me more comfortable. He stressed to me to take my time as I was preparing to drive so I wouldn’t be uptight. He then handed me the piece of paper, the same one he scribbled on the whole time I was driving, and told me to make an appointment to take the test over again. I then watched as the medium framed man got out of the car and walked to the next car on line.
When my mother returned to the car, yes I cried, but she made me feel better by promising ice cream and saying that I would definitely pass the next time. On the drive home we blamed everything for the failure, the weather, my nerves, the test trail and even her insistence. I thought that my life was over without a driver’s license. I started at that moment to strategize and decide how I would take the test next time. I would be much calmer whether the sun was shining in the eighty-five degree weather or the snow was coming down in minus twenty. I knew that I wasn’t ready a, but I figured it still wasn’t a waste of time because I was able to take the valuable advice that the instructor gave me that day and even apply it to my next test.
On that note, I shifted my truck into reverse and vacated the parking lot of the college I was dual-enrolled at. The thirty minute ride to my high school could not be over soon enough, as my destiny for the upcoming summer was at stake. The multitude of emotions I experienced on the seemingly endless car ride overcame me as my speedometer pushed the speed limit. Feelings of nervousness, excitement, optimism, courage, and anxiety crept into my mind.
My biggest accomplishment throughout high school so far has been learning how to fail. Not necessarily falling flat on my face in a viral video, but instead just barely coming up short and not being able to reach a goal, despite my best efforts. Although I was unaware of it at the time, failing my driver’s test on my first attempt would become a life altering incident.
In Flannery O’Connor’s short story, A Good Man is Hard to Find, a family gets in a car accident on a deserted dirt road. Unluckily for them, they are found by a group of three escaped convicts, led by a man who calls himself The Misfit. These convicts systematically execute the family in twos as the Misfit talks with the grandmother. While the catalyst for this execution is the grandmother’s verbal recognition of The Misfit as an escaped criminal, it is clear that he commits his crimes for deeper reasons. The Misfit is angry on a fundamental level, and acting out on this anger is the closest he can come to feeling pleasure in this life.
A gust of air audibly exited my lungs as I opened the creaky door of my mother’s beat up four door car. Charley didn’t have the same spring in his step that was present in his youth, but he did his best to run over and hop in. I wish he didn’t try so hard. My heart sank as he made vain attempts at pulling himself into the vehicle. I bent down and gave him a little assistance. He was quick to turn around and look at me anxiously. He never felt comfortable if I wasn’t sitting with him. I took my place in the back seat and slowly closed the door.
My heart ached with pain. I felt the rain pour on me, as my own tears started to drop just like the rain surrounding me. Regret. It was around me like a cloud that will always be on top of me no matter what.
“I am sorry,” the examiner said. “You have to practice more.” Before I passed the driving test, I failed two times. Consequently, I have more experience about the proper driving because I learned much more from correcting my wrong ways to drive. It may be a formidable challenge for me to get through the test if I don’t follow appropriate steps. In order to smoothly pass the driving test, one should read up the Driver Handbook, keep observing the traffic conditions, and clam down the jittery nerve.
The written test that you were required to take was taken at the armory. You needed to pass the written test to get your permit. The test was 100 questions that number made me very nervous because I?m not a very good test taker, and that is a lot of questions. The night before the test I couldn?t sleep because I was so worried about not passing the test. I think I read the book five times before I finally fell asleep. In the morning mom brought me to the Armory, I went in to take my test. It took me about forty five minutes to take it. I brought my test to the front desk they correct it right there, when she was done she came to tell me I passed. I was so excited now I could drive!!
I stood at the end of the driveway with a bag of clothes and my little sisters by my side. My dad pulled up, we got in the truck, and we drove about 10 minutes until we got to his shop. This would seem like a normal day, but things were different this time. We weren 't at the shop to ride the four wheelers around or to play basketball in the garage or to mess with the pinball machines. There was a gloomy feel about everything around us. Even though I didn’t say anything, I knew things were changing.
It was the night before my driver’s test, and with each passing hour I felt the anxiety creep into my veins. Vying for first place with high school graduation and prom night, receiving a driver’s license is one of the biggest milestones in a teenager’s life. A driver’s license means midnight runs to Sheetz, road trips to the beach, and rides to the mall without your mom blowing kisses from the car as you walk sheepishly towards your friends. What more could a teenager want than these perks? Of course, I was hyper-aware of all that was at stake in regards to my driver’s test. Thus, the night before the exam, I intensively studied my driver’s manual and watched YouTube videos that offered helpful driving pointers. I even dragged my mother along for one more practice run on the road.
It’s February 19, 2016, my 15th birthday, I had my first and hopefully last experience driving with my mom on Highway Z. I passed my driving permit test and the drive was not what I was imagining on the way home at all. The first time driving was a blast but all of sudden it revolved into a horror movie. On the day of my birthday, my mom arrived at school so I could go take my permit test.
I had failed the written test the first time, so when I passed the second time, I was ecstatic and eager to share the great news with everyone I knew. While that moment was satisfying, it was only a baby step into getting what I truly desired, my full provisional license. I made sure to record all of my driving hours, had my parents sign the proper forms, and then traveled back to the DMV a few months later with the largest amount of confidence I’ve ever had before.
I studied for my written test and passed on the first try. I was filled with excitement, but I was only one-third of the way to having my license. My parents decided it was best for me to take a driver's ed class to make sure I was fully
I slowly walked toward the shore and my mom met me half way, I was still hysterical. My dad got as close as he could to the waterfall’s edge to look and check whether he could possibly spare my day. He was still tossing down the line with hopes of catching a shoe. There I was heartbroken, wet, and barefoot. I felt like my whole world was slowly crashing down around me.
I got out of my car and walked up to the steps of the library, a sigh of relief leaving my lips. I smiled an awkward smile at my Grandmother sitting on the bench. The driving instructor gestured for me to have a seat next to my Grandmother so she could give us the results. I could feel my heart drop down into my stomach. I just knew I had failed and was already preparing for my second try in my head.
It was February 10th, 2015 when I had come home from school and had my dad take me out for driving practice. It was the day before my driver’s test and I had my dad in the passenger’s seat. It was a chilly afternoon and I was so anxious that I was excessively shivering. As I accelerated to move into