Three months ago, if you would have told me I’ll be driving
through the streets of Nairobi like a pro, I’d have ROTFL (by the way, the
Rolling On The Floor Laughing is never real, not unless someone is tickling
your tummy and you’re 8 years old! More still, those who write that I’m sure do
it in the middle of really boring, meetings or with a stone face and their bodies
are nowhere near any floor).
Fast forward to some days ago, my first long distance test came.
You see, I always had a fear of driving and cars. Since a close friend was
killed in a car accident while being given a “lift”, I developed a fear of cars
and driving….and it put me down for years. This was till I decided to take
driving classes… well, let’s just say I was pushed…ok I was forced to. So I
signed up for the classes, just so that the nagging may stop. Two weeks later
and my instructor signs up for my exams...and pass did i. (but they didn’t fool
me, I went back and made sure I had maximized use of my fees)
So a few days after getting my license and I was driving
through the streets of my home town like I had been driving for years. I had
taken my first step to overcoming my fears. Most of us have serious fears, like
my other fear of millipedes (I wonder how I can overcome that one). But I came
to realize, all it takes is taking that one great step. Believe that you can
overcome it. Having someone who constantly tells you “you can do it” “I have
you back” “I’m here for you”; having someone to help boost your confidence. But
mostly, you just have to believe in yourself.
Then came Friday night and my dad announced that I will be
having my first long distance test. Driving to Nairobi and back…at first I was
nervous but that night I called a friend and he told me he believed in me. I
was now ready. 4 am and I started the “journey of a life time”. I must admit it
was a nice experience, accelerating till I felt as if I would fly, slowing down
at bumps to occasionally hear strangers ask “is that a child driving by herself?”
watching policemen stare at me in amazement as I passed them. Oh it was
lovely! Snaking through the hills and
valleys of Central Kenya (coz there are no hills in Nairobi).
At the end of the day, I came back feeling so tired, my eyes
sore (I was actually shedding tears. I guess I took the “keep your eyes on the
road” too seriously). When I picked up my phone and called my best friend to
tell him this great fear I had overcome, his reaction was a boost to my
confidence (that is part of the reason he is my best friend; the way he
encourages me *smiles*). Anyway; even though I now have to go back to wearing
my glasses, I did achieve something great. My list of fears is one fear less.
Take that first step. I dare you to face your fears.
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