Practise makes man perfect

As I have written in my earlier post, I enrolled for driving classes and also took my Learner's license from Dombivli, my home town.

I returned to Bangalore, shifted to a new house and resumed my driving practise. I initially took the car in the huge campus where I stay now, but didn't exactly know how to slow down when their were speed breakers or when people or cars suddenly came in front while I was driving. So my dad suggested to take help of a professional driver, who would guide me and help me learn driving in the Bangalore traffic. My dad drives in Maharashtra, he can drive on any and every car. But here he was not sure if he could teach me. So, I also didn't think much and decided to engage a driver from an agency which provides drivers to people all around Bangalore.

The driver came on Monday and we started the training. He didn't know Hindi or English and he shouted at me for almost every mistake I did on the first day. It was my first long drive experience on my own car and I was nervous. He took me to the over-crowded Outer ring road, which is near my house and which is dug up everywhere and has tremendous traffic all the time. I must have stopped at least 10 times on the road with so much of honking in the background and the traffic around and to top the tension was his constant instructing and shouting. I thought of running away from my car. But couldn't. Driving requires a composed mind, when one is novice. One should be calm to be able to think what his/her next action should be. Amidst his shouting and traffic, I completely lost confidence and control. I came back and told my mom and mother-in-law that I didn't quite enjoy the experience. But they both and even my dad said, no it is OK, it is the way in which one learns, do not take it to heart etc. etc.

2nd day same story, 3rd day ditto and today I blew it off. His shouting, my tension, his sudden application of handbrake on the main road when car is in full swing and the car screeching very badly, his constant telling me that I won't be able to drive in next 10 years and his constant complaint of me not using brakes properly culminated, my heart became heavy and all the vent up emotions of the past 4 days found way in tears. You all might laugh at me and say, what I a fool I was to react like this to a stranger's behavior. But I am very emotional and sentimental. Even if my hubby or my parents say something to me, I start sobbing and this person was not even related to me.

I got very depressed and like a small child announces that he won't go to school from tomorrow, I also announced that I won't practise anymore with a person who doesn't know how to teach and talk to ladies. I explained situation to my dad and gave him confidence that I was better off with him when I practised with him. Now that I know the basics, only thing to do now is practise a lot on all possible roads and all possible ways. On 1st day, the car stopped so many times and today on the 4th day, it didn't stop once. I applied brakes carefully, was in full control, but still I had to take the shouting of that driver. I will admit that I gained confidence to drive on main roads and learnt small tips from him, but hadn't expected such a rude behavior from someone who was there to teach me and not to show how foolishly I am driving..

I decided. Not to take his crap anymore.

So, from tomorrow onwards, I will go for practise only with my dad and also enjoy the experience of being able to drive my own car! I am sure there is always a scope of improvisation depending on the traffic and situations. I am already feeling so happy and light by tomorrow's thought!!

Yahooooooooooo