Please be kind to learner drivers, please...

I’ve only gone and done it; booked my first ever driving lesson at the grand old age of 35 that is. I’m terrified and I haven’t even stepped inside the car yet.

I never felt the need to drive before having Taters, I could get around just fine on public transport and let’s face it, there are too many cars on the road already. I quite liked slinging a back pack over my shoulder and travelling wherever I pleased by train, sitting back listening to my ipod, flicking leisurely through a magazine while enjoying a cup of tea, maybe a bar of chocolate… ah bliss! But slinging a mountain of “baby essentials” into a changing bag, then lugging my things, his things, him and the buggy to the station in time to catch the train, carefully timing it to fit in with his routine so he isn’t overtired and grumpy, then trying to entertain said child on the train so as not to annoy other passengers… Well you get the picture, that’s not so relaxing.

I accept that you lose certain freedoms in having a child, and I’m fine with that. But I’m hoping that by learning to drive we’ll regain some we’ve never had before. And there’s just so much I want to show my little boy, so many things we can do – right now we’re limited to wherever we can get to by buggy and foot and if we want to go further we need to enlist the grandparents who drive. But I don’t want to be a burden any longer… The time is right to drive.

That doesn’t mean I’m not terrified though. I’m scared of other drivers bearing down on me while I crawl along the road terrified to go over 20mph, I’m scared of other drivers shaking their fists at me when I make some inevitable error or other, I’m pretty much scared of other drivers full stop (they seem like such an impatient and unforgiving bunch). And learning something in public, on full display, in front of others who already know how to do it – it sends shudders down my spine.

This was one of my New Year resolutions and it may have taken me until March to pluck up the courage to do it, but do it I will. We all know it's good to do something outside of your comfort zone once in a while, it gives you a new zest for life...