We pulled up into a parking space, and she began to write on her clipboard. The scraping of the pen on the hard surface seemed to be amplified in my ears. My heart seemed to be pounding so hard it wanted to escape my chest. I only watched as the pen ran around the paper on the board and scribbled in words. Finally, after a few minutes of silence, she turned to me to tell me whether or not I passed.

The whole day was spent being nervous, and throughout all my classes it was all I could focus on. It was the day I was to take my driver’s test to receive my license, a day I’d been waiting practically my entire life for. Even the day before was spent being nervous, worried and excited all at once. There was nothing I could except think about whether or not I would pass thing test on my first try. I had only heard of a few people that did and so it made it that much worse.

“Aren’t you excited?”
“Do you think you’ll pass?”
“Are you nervous?”

All these questions, and more, were all I got the day of the test. It didn’t help being that I had found myself with more doubts on whether or not I could pass. Everyone was asking if I would get my license when I hadn’t even the slightest ability to answer the question. Of course, like every other teenager, I wanted to pass more than anything; it would mean freedom to get food whenever I wanted instead of asking my parents or someone to take me. Thinking of so many benefits had only made me more nervous and I was getting overwhelmed.

The end of school had gotten closer and closer, and along with the school day ending came the uncomfortable, familiar feeling of being nervous, as well as anxious. The drive to the DPS had to be to worst; every second drawing closer to an important event in my life had me on the edge the entire ride. We finally arrived, and I stepped up to the desk to say, “I’m here to take the test for my driver’s license.” Without a care in the world, the receptionist handed me a paper to fill out and, in a monotone, almost annoyed voice said, “Drive around to the side with your car once you’ve filled out the paper.” 

I had to stop my hand from shaking to make my handwriting legible, and then I quickly filled out the paper. My mom handed me the keys to the car and with my heart racing, walked towards it. I sat down in the driver’s seat with no one else inside, a very unfamiliar and uncomfortable feeling for me. I put the car in reverse, got out of the parking space and drove to the side of the building.

I sat in the car waiting for the instructor to walk out the door for what seemed like forever until she finally stepped outside. She wore thick, black glasses that were square and only enhanced the rigidness in her eyebrows. Her big earrings swung through her long, black hair. Her fingers clasped a clipboard like dried up branches refusing to let anything go. With the windows rolled down I heard the loud sound of her heels hitting the concrete like a rhythmic knocking on hard wood. She came to the passenger door window and asked me to check the horn, turn signals and brake lights to be sure they were working then stepped inside.

“Hello, I’ll be your instructor for your test today. Just be remain calm and you will do just fine.”
“I’ll try,” I said, joking only a little.

She had told me to perform a parallel park between two poles, the hardest part for me. I did as she said and remained calm. I hit the curb only slightly and immediately she took out her pen to write down on her clipboard. I still remained calm and completed the park better than I usually do. Finally, it was time to begin driving.

“Go out onto this road and I will direct you where to go from there.”

I went out onto the road and listened carefully to her directions, being sure to not make any mistakes, especially on where to go. Everything was going just fine until one lane turned into two and I realized I had just made a mistake and almost as if to reassure me, she took out her black pen and wrote down on her clipboard. It made me wonder how many other times she wrote down something when I wasn’t paying attention to her.

I was finally finished with the driving route and was relieved to come back to the DPS parking lot and have the car come to a halt. She took her pen and clipboard and scribbled on it. The whole time I heard the sound of the pen scrape along the hard wood surface of the board, my heart only started to beat faster and faster as time progressed. The sound finally stopped and she turned to me to say, “Okay, you passed.”

Those words echoed in my ear. I had to use all my strength to not yell out then and remain calm and only slightly happy to have finally been able to take the test and pass on my very first try. She commented on a few things I may need improvement on and handed me a paper to turn into the desk to receive my license. Smiling ear-to-ear at the paper the whole time, I stepped up to the desk; they took the paper and took my picture for my license. Like receiving a delicate and fragile object, I carefully took the paper copy of my license and left the building.

At last, I finally had my license. I was able to have the freedom to drive alone in a car. Almost my whole life I had been waiting for this moment, to hold my license in my hands and be able to drive alone. It was another step in growing up and although it was only slightly frightening to realize I was getting older and would soon have to assume more responsibilities, I was still mesmerized by the fact I had gotten my license.