In the province of Ontario in Canada where I live, there comes a time in every adolescent’s life where they are given the opportunity to gain more responsibility. This responsibility comes in the form of being of age to go for their driver’s license. This opportunity usually occurs when the teenager reaches the age of 16. Assuming responsibility comes in the form of having the ability to drive, legally. Some believe that this age is too young to be behind the wheel of something that has the potential to result in tragedy if not careful.
When I turned the ripe age of 16, my parents gave me the choice to go and take the test so I could obtain my drivers license. I thought about the huge responsibility and trust my parents extended to me. For a long period of time I was very skeptical about this responsibility. I had conflicting thoughts; one thought which ran through my mind was “am I ready”; the other was, “I was too young for this privilege and the responsibility”. After a week of prolonging my decision, I told my parents I would take the test. I became very confident and believed I was ready for the task at hand. There was a long wait until it became my turn to take the test; this delay started to have a negative effect on my ego. I began to doubt myself and as I stood up to leave, my name was called; it was my turn to take the test. My heart started racing and I could hear each beat. I sounded like a thousand drummers pounding on their drums. I got into the car, and tried to remember everything I had previously learned from my instructor and from my family. This helped reinforce the fact that driving a car is a huge responsibility.
When I began my test, I was extremely nervous because I did not want to mess up. After I became a bit more comfortable in the car, I began to drive more carelessly and I did things which the examiner was quick to comment about. At that moment, my confidence dropped again and I was right back at square one. After the test the examiner graded me and before he told me if I passed or not, he told me he could tell I was nervous at the beginning and that towards the end of the test he saw me becoming careless and lackadaisical behind the wheel of the car. He told me that having the ability to drive legally was a very big opportunity; it is not a right but a privilege. He further added that kids come in and take the test and believe they are just going to pass no matter what they do during the test. Many kids are in the wrong state of mind even before they even get into the car. He said he could see me trying to remember what I learned and this is why he believed I could handle the responsibility, even though I did not demonstrate this during parts of the test. He finally gave me the sheet which stated I had passed and was now able to drive. I saw some kids become ecstatic when they received this news and I did not agree with the way they acted.
When I received my paper allowing me to drive a car, I became more serious and more focused because now I had more responsibility and control over my life and in the lives of others. One little mental error while driving could have the potential to be dangerous and could profoundly affect others. In conclusion, this risk I took to get my driver’s license became a significant achievement in my life, and every time I get behind the wheel of a car, it becomes a significant experience because this new responsibility requires me to think and act as a mature adult.