Generally, running this blog I go under the moniker of Priptona or Prip….even when sharing more personal stuff like the work-in-progress painting, etc.
I must share a recent epiphany with you. I was in Worcester a couple of weeks back visiting my friend Deb. I was talking to her about how I’d organised getting to her by getting the cheapest train I possibly could. To get the ticket the price I did (£6) it meant I should have left Euston at 1.47am to get to Milton Keynes Central at 2.37am. From there it was a 3 hour wait until the trains started again. I took the gamble that instead of needing to get to London first and have to wait around MK for 3 hours, that I could just…get on at Milton Keynes. Mercifully it IS what I could do. But it got Deb asking me whether I had learned to drive.
On the way home it had me pondering. I was listening to Walk Between Worlds. I can’t remember now which song was playing…I think it was either The Signal And The Noise or In Dreams…but…just listening, watching the world go by out the window I thought, “Oh, you know what? I am just gonna do this! I’m gonna get in contact with the DVLA and see if I still have a provisional licence (I had lost mine some time back, but because I had lost it, I couldn’t remember if I renewed it and it was still current), do what I need to do to get it updated if I’m still licensed, or apply from scratch…get some L’s and just DO THIS!”
Geez, WBW is such inspiring stuff! Anyway, I am still provisionally licensed, so I bought some L plates and had my first lesson this evening. All went really well. I’ve had a lot of previous experience as a learner driver. But two things will hinder my progress, initially. One – I haven’t driven in 12 years, two – nearly all my previous driving experience was in automatics. This time I am determined to learn in manual. It is what I have always wanted to be able to drive. I never wanted to restrict myself by only knowing how to drive automatic. The world’s your oyster in manual.
I’m pleased with how lesson one went. The previous experience holds me in good stead. And there is an area of Luton I can practice in without getting out on the roads just yet.
Daily lessons. Lots of practice! The goal? To be able to drive down to Bath – as a fully licensed driver – to see John Grant on my birthday. It may be overly ambitious. I may be trying to bite off more than I can chew…but we’ll see. If you’re gonna have a goal, eh? What’s the point in half measures? NO FEAR! NO GIVING UP. NO WALKING AWAY! I WILL GIVE IT MY ALL…AND I WILL book a test. I’ve got to make it happen.
