Personal Narrative: The Joy Of Driving

I hate driving. I have some trepidation about using that word but hate is due where it’s due. And I hate driving. It might have something to do with the fact that no matter how good a driver I am, my safety is still in the hands of some over-confident twenty-something who is texting, eating, and driving simultaneously. Or maybe it’s the environmentally driven guilt I have while pumping gas. Either way, I just really don’t like driving. But, it was driving that made me realize I felt like an ant. I was in the left turn lane on my way home from a hot afternoon of summer band. The little green traffic arrow lit up and, much like ants following the instruction of a pheromone, we swung our metallic bodies in the instructed direction of travel and

I approached the vehicle and asked MD why she was driving without someone 21 years of age in the vehicle and she informed me that she just wanted to hang out with friends and watch the fireworks. I asked MD if anyone in the vehicle had consumed alcohol and she told me no.

I attended adaptive driving program on November 12, 2015, which was hosted by Nicole White, OTR. It was called Evaluate, Train, Adapt, Can Mama Keep the Car Keys? I found this program very interesting. Plus I walked out with the impression that if I have any traumatic event occur in my life; I will never be able to drive again. The program seems very intensive, and the participants have to go through various steps to complete it. The driving service is for people that have had or is having a even occur to them to impact their ability to drive. This could be a spinal injury, dementia, traumatic brain injury, stroke, or an amputation. To begin the program, the person must receive a referral from their doctor. The first appointment involves

Waking up the morning that I was meant to leave for my trip, all that I could do was try to will my bladder not to have to use the bathroom and inconvenient amount of times and trying to decipher the correct amount of water that I should drink in order to not have to go. When I woke up a peed, before I left, I peed, when I got to Anna’s house I peed again just for good measure- and that was all within a couple of hours. When we finally left on our 8 hour journey my new mantra was “don’t think about having to pee” which as you can assume was the adverse of what I was trying to do. For the first 3 hours I didn’t have to go, and I was so proud of myself. After that I gained some confidence and was like “I got this, I will pee when

Around the time I was getting settled into sophomore year at Memorial, I got my driver’s license. The freedom of driving alone was awesome but having my license was beneficial since I had an off-campus practice for the golf team nearly every day. At first, you could say I was a little bit paranoid because I was inexperienced and I was driving a nice truck which was my first car. Eventually, I felt more relaxed and I started to gain confidence behind the wheel. This false sense of confidence caused the biggest and definitely the most expensive mistake I have made in my entire life.

A rush of adrenaline goes through as my car bolts down the highway. I can hear the enemy car getting closer and closer to me, which only makes me accelerate faster. The car speeds up to me and hammers my car to the side. I’m just about to crash when I am brought back to reality. Looking around my surroundings, my car is not on the highway, but on a deserted road in the cemetery. I’m waiting for my dad, who is sitting in the passenger seat, to give me the keys.

It was a normal friday morning here in Dallas, I walk out to my condo balcony to breathe in the the fresh hot air, with a hint of cut lawn clippings. It is a perfect day for a parade through downtown Dallas with Mr. Kennedy. I walked over a few rooms to do my routinely check on Mr. President, and as usual his confident self just shooed me away and told me to do my own thing. I begin to start my breakfast that I usually cook for him and his family when we are on campaign. The overwhelming smell of bacon and eggs drug Kennedy out of his room over into the kitchen to eat some breakfast. Still in his PJ’s and all he does the same as me and walks out the balcony and shouts out that it is going to be a great day. After I eat my delicious

The months of preparation had finally paid off, I had finally earned my driver’s license. On that fateful day it had seemed like the best thing in the world, eventually it would become just another task that I could complete successfully. Eventually, driving would become repetitive and the larger the vehicle, the more I would enjoy driving it. As I got better at driving, the time that I spent driving became greater and greater.

As May came to an end and the temperature started to warm up, but winter’s presence lurked. Seventeen years old, too old to be without a license, I was almost finished with my junior year of high school. Since my parents wanted to be certain I was well prepared and had enough experience under my belt to be driving alone on the open road, a learner’s permit was in my possession for far longer than the required time. All the requirements to take the license test were exceeded and I was thoroughly prepared. It was now time for me to validate my skills on the official test course. However, obtaining my license proved difficult, but resilience in the face of failure cultivated success.

Low and fast no one can see me because I am speeding down my street. But I don't want to go to fast because I make rainbow streaks in front of my house. Then my magical bike shoots out pepper spray to blind bad guys from seeing. Also my magical bike has a balloon thrower that is filled with slime and explodes when it hits an object. My alarm goes off. There is only one thing that can mean, the banks in my city have been robbed.

Learning how to drive is almost every teens dream, but having a wreck isn’t. Back when I got my license and started to drive, I was the type of person that believed I would never get into a wreck. I drove too many miles over the speed limit, had the music blasting, and carried more than 4 passengers at a time. There would be times where I got into a car with kids not buckled up, no license, and no insurance. My aunt Shenna’s burgundy Buick Lacrosse was the go-to car. She let my cousins, sister, and me borrow it whenever we had gas money. If there was a million dollar prize for the craziest, most dangerous teen driver, I probably would’ve won it. The day that I had my first wreck and got my first ticket was the day that my life changed forever.

The challenge, setback, or failure i had was when i was challenge to drive for the first time. I was challenge to drive for the first time was when i got my learners. The day i got my learners i was able to drive but i had to have an adult with a license in the vehicle at all times. I could not go anywhere unless they were in the car. I hated that but it was the law.

Driving at night can be dangerous, especially when you had a long exhausting day. Sometimes I find myself in a rush and can’t help myself but to speed. The night I got into my first accident was the night I learned a really valuable lesson. Which is not to speed.

then approached the vehicle driver’s side of the vehicle and noticed the two children. I noticed they were both covered in blood and Genesis Freeman was placed face down in the lap of Serenity Freeman. I could see the driver’s window was partly down and a pack of New Port cigarettes were on the ground next the rear door. I also noticed a child sock was on the ground on the passenger’s side of the vehicle. A child shoe was also located on the ground prior to the vehicle. I then proceeded back to my vehicle and was advised by Sergeant P. Orellano to escort Tillman Freeman III to Hoke County Sheriff’s Department. Detective J. Figueroa and I then followed a Hoke County Deputy to the Sheriff’s Office to interview Tillman Freeman III.

The sun seemed to melt everything in its sight and the day took more time than usual with nothing to offer but wavy lines of traffic and a headache. Relieved to go home after an exhausting day of school, the sizzling seatbelt buckle against my skin reminded me of the hundred and seventeen degrees. A feeling of irritation and clumsy aggravation associated with the heat persuaded me to hate the world outside of my car. To me driving in the heat is similar to sitting in a boiling sauna fully suited in a Sunday church outfit. It was an uncomfortable and infuriating feeling. Both hands directly on the steering wheel, I drove and about fifteen minutes before home BAM! This passive and sluggish second was impacting enough to shift lives around. This was also a second that would both physically and emotionally disperse me, dismantle my car, as well as frighten me to this day of driving.