STORYTIME – Driving Ms. Daisy

I’ve always had anxiety about driving so when I fell in love with a man who lived an hour away I had some obstacles to conquer.

Dustin didn’t have a vehicle for a variety of reasons, so he worked with me on my issues. He also constantly worried about me driving, he had to get my attention more than once for going the wrong way or forgetting my brake pedal 🤣

He taught me about puppy feet. When a lane is turning into an exit only, the dotted lines get smaller and closer together, and are called puppy feet. He said this way even if I can’t see a sign, I’ll know to get over. Anxiety calmed.

The night we met he hopped in my car to parallel park for me. He didn’t bother even teaching me that though, he knew better. He just always did it for me. Anxiety calmed.

One day we were driving in a downpour and I lost traction. I could feel my face heating up, the tears coming, my knuckles turning white. He put his hand on my leg and said ‘Breathe. Take your foot off the gas, ease into the direction the car is going, and slow down. We aren’t in a rush’. He squeezed my leg until he felt my tension release. I was able to pull over safely and let him finish the drive. I can still hear his voice when I get nervous in the rain. Anxiety calmed.

In traffic jams he taught me to not accelerate, just coast even when the traffic ahead seems to speed up. ‘It’ll save your leg from tiring out and save you some frustration’. Anxiety calmed.

He drew me a map of the major highways and how they all interconnect. ‘If you miss an exit look for familiar streets and find your way back to the highway’. ‘820 is just a loop, you can’t get lost’ (WRONG. I got lost in my own driveway as a kid…) He made me practice without my GPS often. Anxiety calmed.

He taught me tricks for seeing at night, driving in construction, finding back ways, all kinds of things. Once he knew I was comfortable and confident driving he took over and was the constant chauffeur. But he wanted to make sure I could do it without him. Foreshadowing.