There are two things to know about me before I start this story.

1. I was a terrible driver at 16.
2. I received a lot of grief for it.

I failed my driver’s test the first time, and I was picked on non-stop for it. During this time I felt alone; I felt like the world was out to get me. During my second attempt, I was extremely nervous. I slowly pulled off the shoulder and kept my head turned to ensure that nobody else was coming. As I turned my head back around, I realized my worst dream had come true. I had blown a stop sign, and I hadn’t even started my test. I knew I was done for. I drove through the four-way, pulled onto the shoulder and put the car in park. I began to bawl my eyes out as the officer calmed me down, saying, “Don’t worry, the world’s not out to get you.” She reassured me that we could restart with a blank slate.

The rest of the driver’s test was a blur as I kept thinking that she was just letting me go through the motions until she eventually failed me. As I put on the emergency brake to end my test, my mood darkened, my head dropped and a frown appeared on my face while I waited for her to tell me that I failed. But, that didn’t happen. She said, “Congratulations, Colin! You’ve passed with a 70.”

This isn’t a story to encourage you to blow stop signs to pass your drivers test, but to remind you that nobody’s perfect. First impressions can be messy, so don’t let them close your mind. And, if you ever feel that you’re alone, just remember the world’s not out to get you.