This is in response to Esther’s Weekly Word Prompt.
This week’s prompt is : Drive
Over-Drive
Once my superior wrote in my yearly appraisal :” She has the exceptional ability to take up any assignment.”
This remark levitated me to unscalable heights and convinced me that I was a Jack of all trades till it came to driving.
My first (yes, I had many) driving lessons were on a Motor Driving School vehicle where the actual control (clutch, brake, accelerator) remains with the trainer. The trainee at best learns to balance the car and drive straight. The school’s curriculum also includes motivating the students to believe that they are born to drive. I believed them wholeheartedly and that was my undoing.
The second training (after a gap of a few years) was with a driver from Haryana. Haryanvis are known to be rough, tough and gruff. This was the phase when I was happily going to run over a side walker. On the concluding day of the training session he wrapped up saying ,”Aapko aata sab kuchh hai par aap kuchh kartey nahin ho.” You know everything but you don’t do anything.
The actual test was learning on my own car with the trainer by my side. I was to drive following his verbal instructions. He said he was a heart patient but smoked like a chimney. Much later he told me it was to deal with the stress of monitoring me at the wheels.
After battering a light pole, shoving the tyres into a parked SUV (please don’t ask me how), getting the bumper bashed in coupled with a mind that wandered into wonderland in any moving vehicle I realised I was not meant for driving. Moreover, the perpetual paranoia about all other vehicles on the road determined to have a collision with mine I finally decided I’d better be driven than being the driver.
Now that my Driving License (Well! I still have one) needs renewal I am procrastinating. Considering the safety of the pedestrians, the durability of the light poles, the survival of the other vehicles on the road and the probability that I may have to showcase my driving skills to the RTO (Regional Transport Office) before securing a go ahead for the License I guess I should finally give the thought a rest.
What say you???
I smiled throughout this piece, Geeta. Love your sense of humour here. Driving might be a very common thing but for some of us, we simply don’t like driving and that’s ok! Your second trainer sounded very patient through your driving adventures – I guess your driving adventures makes driving very exciting! I’m not much of a driving person – won’t drive unless I really have to.
By the way, I just finished reading This is How We Work, the anthology Yvette Prior put together. Really enjoyed reading your piece on Will to Work and your resilience in managing a subordinate who was different than most. Sometimes we have not much choice at work and the least we can do is try to make the most of it. And that’s how I came here today to read your blog 🙂
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Oh! I am so grateful 🙏 and glad that my story resonated with you. I guess interpersonal skills of a worker depends much on the work culture and ethos of the organisation we work for. Since ours is a welfare organisation I guess we think and act differently where helping each other is seen as a quality not as a choice.
To be very honest, I too am not a driving person 😭
Thanks once again for your kindness and making so much effort to find my blog space and commenting and expressing your appreciation. Indebted.
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Your story really did resonate with me. We all have different skills and personalities at work – some take more consideration to work together. And yes, workplace culture is a factor in that.
It’s funny how the world often thinks those who don’t drive as a bit strange. But we’re all different.
Very happy to have connected with you. Thank you for writing 😊
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You are most welcome Mabel
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Thank you for this wonderful share on driving. I loved it – and it’s fine that driving isn’t for you. It’s not something that came naturally to me. I don’t think we’re all meant to drive.
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Thank you very much Esther for boosting my morale.
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Wow! thanks for the laugh. I thought of my mom’s driving lessons.
My observation is the traffic has worsened almost everywhere, and then there is increase in aggressive driving behavior. People don’t want to stop even at the signal.
Good luck with RTO if you really go for a test.
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You are right. In Delhi driving is a nerve racking business.
Aggressiveness is more if they see a lady driver.
And then there is the comparison and conclusion that female drivers cannot drive.
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Haha! A very funny picture you’ve drawn of your driving lessons.
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I am glad my incompetence has given you reason to laugh 😆😆😆😆
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It’s the way you’ve written it my friend. 😍😍😍
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It’s funny, isn’t it? 😆😆😆😆
I am actually a poor driver.
I don’t like driving.
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It is. You are a wonderful writer. I drive only when I have to. But I’m overly cautious driver.
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Women are generally very careful drivers
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Yes, but not all 😜
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😆 😆 😛😛
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Ha ha enjoyed it! Left to me I love to be driven too! 🤷♀️ But I need to drive here.
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I know it’s mandatory to know how to drive there. It’s become important to drive here as well. But….
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Driving to me seems very difficult, being blind, I can’t drive, but if I could, I’d think it would be so hard to learn how.Xx
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Nowadays driving seems essential to urban living but somehow I have not been able to enjoy it.
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