Chronically Fabulous · Femme

Cars: They Drive Me Crazy!

The motor vehicle and I have had a rather difficult relationship: there have been ups and downs (that’s the ‘rolling over the car’, and the occasional ‘being driven over’!) I realise that as someone who is deaf and blind in one eye I should probably be incredibly careful when crossing the road. I realise that should also be more of a ‘definitely’ than a ‘probably’.

It’s the hazard of being deaf and blind in one eye… and a little bit ditzy. There were a couple of occasions, before my hearing aids, when I came out of school…it had been a good day and I was feeling pretty chirpy…BOOM!…I’m sitting on the bonnet and staring through the windscreen at an old lady (looking at me like this). People are always so angry when they hit you with their car. Just because you have disrupted their day with the minor inconvenience of making them injure you.

You might think I should have learnt to be careful but, hey, I’m also easily distracted – mainly by shiny things, like a magpie!

I’ve also tried learning to drive- taking the beast by the horns, if you will. But, after over 50 lessons and 8 failed driving tests, my conquering of said motor vehicles isn’t going so well. My fiancé wants me to continue to try to learn – to take more tests – largely because she doesn’t want to be solely responsible for the school run – not that we have children, she is just a forward planner.

As much as I would love to learn to drive and I am not going to say I am a superstitious person but I have failed the test eight times and been hit by a car eight times so I shan’t chance it further. I would like to say at this point that I am exceptionally good at dodgems!

But… driving is really important for independence, even if I can’t drive at night or drive on motorways or… whatever. It would be amazing to want to go somewhere… and then just do it!

So what do you think? Should I try to learn again?