How many of us have cried during the driving lessons even though the instructor is your hero, is the best, and is someone who will always have your back? Yes, I am talking about learning to drive with dad!
I would never wish this pandemic on anyone but one of the few good things to come out of it has been that my dad hasn’t been traveling at all. He used to call himself the “road warrior,” as he had to travel every week for work. Since last March, he has been working from home. This precious family time is something I will cherish forever. The day had come when the rubber met the road, literally! My dad offered to teach me how to drive during the pandemic.
I started driving my dad’s car around the neighborhood with my dad slowly directing me on how to steer the car and hug the road corners. I loved these precious evenings with my dad. Feels like just yesterday when he was teaching me how to ride a bike. The wheels of time have turned the bike wheels to cars, but the experiences are all so alike and memorable. The pride in his eyes when I am able to follow his directions, his annoyances when I would mess up, his mellow voice when my eyes would moisten because I messed up.
As I gained more confidence behind the wheel with my dad’s encouraging voice and advice always in my ears and my head, I couldn’t help but ponder the important life lessons I learned through these driving lessons.
Just like how a good roadmap shows us how to get to a destination, a good roadmap of life can help us make better choices toward our life’s goals. If we miss a turn, we shouldn’t panic; there are always other ways to get to your destination. This teaches us to be flexible and nimble toward our goals. If we miss an opportunity, we must always remember there will be many more in the future.
Staying focused with our eyes right ahead through the windshield yet aware of what’s happening around — and glancing through the rear and side-view mirrors — definitely teaches us to stay focused despite the distractions around us.
The importance of wearing a seatbelt — and how the moment you hear that click you get in the mindset of being focused and attentive — taught me to always be considerate and get my mind focused on whatever I might be doing in that instant. To be considerate of the safety of myself as well as others around me, it is important to follow rules and stay in my own lane. Yes, I may change lanes but only when I am not cutting anyone off and when it is safe to do so with consideration for others.
Practice definitely makes perfect, especially if you are focused and attentive — both in driving and in anything in life.
Even the stern tone in a dad’s voice is important to guide us through the driving lessons as well through life. Yes, there will be tears. Yes, there will be moist eyes and some harsh words. But I know that this voice will guide me through difficult situations, both on the road and off.