Driving Lessons vs Life Lessons

While my dad was not the perfect father he did teach me one thing well and that was how to drive. Anyone he has taught says he is the best teacher and everyone who rides with me comments on my great driving skills. My husband even says I am the better driver between the two of us. What I’ve come to realize is that the driving lessons were also life lessons. The same things he taught me to avoid accidents while driving were also the same things that would help avoid disasters in life. Did I heed them all? Of course not! But here is my interpretation of the driving lessons.

Driving: If the person in front of you puts n their breaks then you apply yours also! Keep a safe distance to avoid a collision.

Life: In a relationship – friendship, love, etc – if the other person puts on the breaks and either slows it down or breaks it off it’s time to put on your own breaks to avoid a broken heart. You can’t force a relationship to move forward anymore than you can force the vehicle in front to move on without damaging one or both.

Driving: Turn in your own lane. Don’t swerve to the next.

Life: You can stay on your own path without disrupting that of another. Each person has their own path and it’s not anyone else’s right to interfere.

Driving: Look before you back up.

Life: Watch your own back because no one else is going to.

Driving: Watch for and obey the traffic signs. Stop means stop, not slow down and coast through.

Life: People don’t always say what they mean, so to keep from getting blindsided watch for signs and heed them.

Driving: Use your signals and use them correctly. If you are going to turn right put on your right turn signal.

Life: Don’t give mixed signals. Be upright and honest to avoid confusion and hurt feelings.

Driving: Implied stops – when entering or exiting a parking lot or even your own driveway, just because there is no stop sign, doesn’t mean you don’t have to stop. These are implied stops. Use common sense.

Life: You don’t always know what coming so keep your eyes open and pay attention to what’s going on around you. Use common sense.

Driving: In a parking lot treat every parking space as if it is occupied. Don’t try to take a short cut by cutting through. Treat the parking lot as if you were the road and stay in the correct lanes.

Life: Taking short cuts may get you somewhere faster, get a project done faster, but it won’t be the best you could do and it may end up in disaster. Do things right the first time.