This is the continuation of conquering my dislike for driving and the need to overcome it because I refuse to be stuck at home with my child.
Kuala Lumpur has its beauty but one of it isn’t public transport so it is pretty common to see a household with 2 or more cars. So for some readers, they may be wondering if I have successfully passed my driving test, this is for you.
I was filled with dread and anxiety on the day of the test. My mind was wandering. As I walked through the long passageway in my driving school, wondering if I will be writing a post about failure and not giving up or writing about succeeding in conquering a skill that I find distasteful.
Wondering if I should go “Hey, I tried and failed, at least, I gave it my best shot.” Learning to let go of something that I don’t believe it is a need, more like a necessity because of the locale I lived in.
I don’t want to be a part of the statistic where many have gotten their driving license for the sake of getting one and never drove anywhere after that. It’s like learning to speak a foreign language but never get to practice it. A skill is not useful if you don’t put it to good use. Too many of my friends are just part of the statistic I speak of. Holding on an international driving license but never had the need to drive because, in Singapore, public transportation is implemented so successfully, owning a car is a luxury. It didn’t help that our cars are so expensive.
To give you a sense of how expensive our cars with tax, a Toyota Prius costs around USD$115,000. Yes, it’s crazy and you watch one of my favorite YouTube videos here on Fast & Furious 6 stars’ jaw-dropping reaction when they found out how ridiculously expensive our cars are:
I’ll never be able to afford a car in Singapore but in Kuala Lumpur, I can easily get their local branded car for USD30,000 (brand new). Time to go car shopping!
Back to reality, in the school, I was filled with nervous anticipation. Messages from family and loved ones start pouring in as my test time nearing. My driving Instructors are edging me on, providing last minute tips. My hands are clammy cold with sweat, I’m biting my lower lip and rubbing my tired eyes. In anticipation of the test, I’ve been down with flu for the past few days. I couldn’t sleep and I lost my appetite, along with my sense of humor.
This is how the driving test goes… I’ll have 45 minutes for the whole test, which is divided into two parts – the school circuit and on the road. The school circuit I’ll have to go through parallel parking, reverse parking, S course etc while on the road test is to determine how confident I am driving on the road and whether I remember my safety rules.
Given my nervousness, I fear mostly for the part of the circuit. Mounting the curb will be an immediate failure. This means I have to be extra vigilant during my parking – something I totally dread and not good at.
If you have read so far, I shall not torment you further with my results. I passed my driving test!
This further has instilled in my faith that I can overcome anything, even tasks that I don’t like if I put my mind to it. 20 years of procrastination and I did it!
Hooray!
Besides the continuous support of my family and friends (and their unwavering belief that I will get my driving license – I wonder why), I must credit the determination to my child. You see, I stubbornly refused to let my child be in a car without a car seat. I have scared myself silly watching those car accidents involving young children on YouTube. Currently, she is in a car seat cum stroller that I can easily maneuver (I love Doona!) when we go out but come 2 years old in January 2019, she’ll need to upgrade to a much bigger car seat that I couldn’t cart around everywhere if I don’t have my own car. So my dilemma is either she go without her car seat or we don’t go anywhere anymore. I did say I am stubborn when it comes to her well-being.
Although it is not mandatory in Malaysia to belt your child up in a car seat, I have been in and witness car accidents that can cost lives even if the driver is extremely careful. I can’t shake the fact if I don’t put my little diva in a car seat, somehow the responsibility is all mine if the car I’m traveling in is involved in an accident. I just don’t want to have that kind of guilt in my life. Ever.
So at every start of a driving lesson / practice, I religiously watched a video of my daughter babbling her babyish talk to me. To remind myself, this is for her. Taking driving lessons is for her. Passing my driving test is for her. Getting my driving license is for her. She and her safety become a driving force (pun intended) for me to become a driver so I can ensure that I am doing all I can to safeguard her when we are out on the road.
A lesson learned: if you are conquering something that you are unfamiliar with or doing something you really don’t like, it helps a lot if you have a driving force or a constant reminder why you are putting yourself through hell.
For me, her goo goo gaa gaa is enough for me to push myself above my limits.
Have you pushed yourself to your limits before? Or put yourself through something you detest? Share with us your experiences in the comments below.
Looking for more stories to understand what goes on in my mind? Here are some really interesting ones:
Feeling Disappointed At Singapore’s Legal System – An Innocent Child’s Life Is At Stake China is a Beautiful Country except..
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