Wednesday, August 12, 2009

drivin'



i only got my driver's license at the age of 20, upon returning from singapore. i started uni not long after that and had to drive about 30km a day just to get to and from my campus.

while at the kl campus, i attended a church that was approximately 10km from uni and found myself ferrying people to and from church every weekend and occasionally during the week as well. on those days, i drove 15km for classes, 3km in order to get pre-church meals, 10km to church, 10km back from church and then 15km back home after that.

now that i'm in seremban, home is an hour's drive away. church is still a weekly 10km pilgrimage and monday mornings are spent driving the 70km back to seremban in time for rounds.

so it was with amusement that i read today's edition of "zits" in the papers.

my driver's license, and the car my mother so graciously loaned to me for the last 4 years, is more than just a card i have to take a new picture for and renew tri-annually. it has enabled me to get home safely after late nights at the library, been an absolute blessing to the many students i've played transport minister to, and has allowed me to spend a couple extra hours at home every weekend. it has granted me independence and caused my parents much worry.

and i have never been in want of a place to go.

i do get tired of driving those long distances at times.

there was one saturday morning on a weekend when i didn't drive to seremban and didn't carpool with someone. i took the 6am ktm back to kl and watched the sunrise through the windows of the train. it was a journey lasting double the time i would have taken if i drove home and one that i spent a good part of in fear because there was a menacing-looking man sitting on the bench right next to mine. but it was a rare moment that i wasn't behind the wheel, checking for tailgaters every couple of seconds and scrambling for the exact change as i approached the toll booth.

then there are all those instances when i ask my sister/friends for a ride whenever i'm back at home and we wanna go someplace...not because i enjoy making people go out of their way to pick me up, but because i just don't want to drive.

still, there is no way for me to complain because just how many people out there are as fortunate as i am to have a car at my disposal and the license to drive it?

anyway, i'm just spewing out the thoughts that ran through my head when i saw this comic strip today. i'm glad i'm able to drive, even if it means having to get out of my comfy chair and moving the car so my housemate can go and grab his groceries. even if it means i have to hope and pray that he's parked to the side so i can park inside the driveway when i reach seremban on monday mornings. even if it means extra expenses when it comes to gas and toll charges.

even if it means all that.

lishun at 6:34 PM

|