Kelly Klein*I discuss my journey to freedom, with advice, as well as how to apply the principles to my own life, and yours too!
*written in March 2022
As I write this, I am four days away from the age of 43. This is also several hours after I finally got my driver’s licence. I held my learner’s permit off and on since age 21. I even had 7 road tests.
1, 2, 3 – The examiner was the exact same guy, and I took these within a week of each other. He yelled at me the very first one. Looking back, I so wasn’t ready but my permit was about to expire. By the third one, he recommended I go to a driving school. Halifax location at West End Mall.
4 – I don’t remember much from this one, except I did a parallel park next to a snow bank. Halifax location at West End Mall.
5 – The examiner was a woman and she said I almost passed, but I forgot to look behind me before backing up and into a space. Someone honked at me, and so it was an auto fail. Halifax location at West End Mall.
6 – The examiner was gruff, and auto failed me for not being cautious enough. Halifax location at Bayers Lake.
7 – Lucky seven. I lost points on pulling out of the parking lot into a middle turning lane when I was supposed to go straight into the non-turning lane. Not sure if that makes sense. She was impressed with my reverse backing into a spot. It was the hardest thing for me to learn, and I even thought about signing a sworn affidavit saying I would never reverse park in my life again if that could only be overlooked on the test. Ironically, I only reverse park. It’s so much easy to back in than to back out. Lost 16 points out of a possible 45. My eyes almost fell out of my head and my jaw dropped to the ground when she said I passed. I worked so darn hard for this…I almost cried. Digby location.
I had to reschedule two tests. Once, I had a taillight out, so the examiner wouldn’t let me take the test. Same thing happened just last week, but this time I didn’t have the registration/vehicle permit.
I know most people don’t have such a long story about getting their licence. Most people take it for granted. It’s just something people do when they’re old enough, like registering to vote. It’s a rite of passage most people experience. Yet it means so much more to me.
Only those closest to me truly know what this means to me.
It means independence.
It means not having to depend on other people.
It means not using public transportation and twice as much time to get anywhere.
It means truly feeling like an adult.
But most of all, it means freedom.
Perhaps even greater than that, it is a confidence boost. This was one area in my life I felt was out of my reach. Still, I worked really hard and practiced a lot this time around. And I succeeded. A goal achieved; an item on my bucket list crossed off.
So now I know, a little late in life, that I am capable of achieving dreams that I put my mind to and work hard on. I got my first learner’s permit when I was 21. So, even though I took forever to pass my road test, I still did it. There are hopes for my other dreams.
If you are struggling to follow your dreams, here’s some advice I have for you:
- Some dreams take longer than others. Don’t ever give up!
- Do the work. I practiced driving more this time around, and I achieved my goal. If you’re struggling, maybe you just need to work a little harder.
- Go back to the basics. Sometimes you just need to build a stronger foundation. This time around, I looked at what basic skills I needed to practice and built upon those.
- Look into your past and remind yourself of your achievements – big or small. This was hard for me. Eventually all I came up with was that I graduated high school, having failed not a single grade, and when I worked at a fast food restaurant and worked hard and achieved employee of the month. That’s all I could come up with, but it was enough to let me know that if I work hard, I will succeed at whatever goal I have. I guarantee you that you have something.
- Enlist help. I needed someone to let me know what I could do better. Sometimes it takes another person to help us navigate through a minefield – someone who’s been through it and can show you the way.
- Just start. Taking a small step every single day will put you a little closer. It may take you five years to achieve your big goal. Well, five years are going to pass anyway.
- It’s never too late. Most people get their driver’s licence in their late teens/early 20s. That doesn’t mean a person can’t in their 40s. The same is true in anything. Are you 50 and want to go to medical school? If you’re 60 or 70 by the time you’re practicing medicine, well guess what? You’ll be 60 or 70 anyway. May as well work towards your goals and live the life you’ve always wanted, instead of a life of regret.
- However, one day, there will be a “too late”. You may have less mobility in your twilight years. If you want to travel, it may become more difficult as you get older. You may get diagnosed with a disease. One day, you will die. That is really the only instance that it is truly too late. I believe that no matter what you got going on, you can achieve anything you put your mind to…even when society tells you to just give up.
So, there you have it. I like to write blog posts based on my own experiences. I do this because these types of posts written by others have helped me. I hope I can inspire just one person to do more, be more, and believe in themselves. If I help just one person, then this journey, and my writing is worth it.
I always read your comments, and I always appreciate it…even when I don’t always know how to respond.
So I’m out…and I will “catch you on the flipside,” as we used to say in my favourite decade, the 80s.
And, as always, be awesome and may your life be passionate!
