My dad once famously said...the truck drivers are illiterate and yet they can drive, u dont need to be a genius to drive..
well all said and done ,driving demands from me something which even algebra or anat didnt, and that is full undivided attention. i have been known to sleep walk through my life, lost in my dream world of make belief hypothesises and what i would like to believe , life altering theories, which i never put into practice. But driving is a different ball game all together.. so here are some of the stuff which i picked up from the clutch and the steering wheel...not to mention the rear view mirror..
1. multitasking : left hand on the gear, right hand on steering wheel, left leg on clutch, right leg on the brake, left eye looking straight, right eye on the rear view mirror,... and all this just to steer the car into the right lane..
driving is a lesson in hand, feet and eye coordination..not to mention ears too when dad screams..BRAKE! then there comes advanced lessons in which u r expected to change radio channels, change beam to dipper light, scream at the guy who nearly scraped u, ogle at the cute guy walking his dog..
2.changing gears:i don't know how many of u have had this trouble, but every time i move from neutral to first gear the car shudders to a stop..and specially in bumper to bumper traffic , that is all one does..brake, neutral, first gear accelerate, brake ,neutral.... and on and on .. and it is scary when the car stops in the middle of all this , because people behind u r cursing, the driver beside u is looking to see whats wrong, inquissitive passre bies, cluck in sympathy, or roll their eyes. that's when one gets flustered and starts the car again, releases clutch too soon and again griding halt, tension rises, you begin again, but now your palms are sweaty.. and ..well it's quite a painful situation.
but that is how it happens in life too, it's not difficult to go from third gear to fourth gear, or from 50 km/hr to 60 km/hr. but life tests you when you have to brake, stop, and start again, when you go from 0 km/hr to 10km / hr. when life gives you a blow and you hold your ground, press clutch change gear, halt, but dont come to a stop..well that is when you have passed the test. and even by chance you don't manage to halt, and the car of your life comes to a stop, and all passerbies are clucking at you..you've got to keep your cool, your eyes on the road, and DON'T GET FLUSTERED, it will only make matter's worse...
3.respect: it might be your car, but it is not your road.. sure it's your life do what you will with it, but there are other's who might be harmed because of your recklessness,and that is just not done. respect for pedestrians, other cars, scooterists...
4.concentrate:people who have seen me driving, tell me that i concentrate more while driving than even when i am solving my exam questions, and that is true. it is a kind of meditation for me, the way they say that while meditating the mind id silent and no thought flits, or floats about in the head..that is how driving is for me, no thoughts of what to wear , who to meet, where to eat..none, it is me being hundred percent present , because the repercussions of mind wandering can be catastrophic..
I always thought that i would not be able to totally concentrate, and what if ... but with driving i realise that it is possible . maybe it is the novelty of driving, may be it will wear off, but for the time being ,driving is my meditation..
well all said and done ,driving demands from me something which even algebra or anat didnt, and that is full undivided attention. i have been known to sleep walk through my life, lost in my dream world of make belief hypothesises and what i would like to believe , life altering theories, which i never put into practice. But driving is a different ball game all together.. so here are some of the stuff which i picked up from the clutch and the steering wheel...not to mention the rear view mirror..
1. multitasking : left hand on the gear, right hand on steering wheel, left leg on clutch, right leg on the brake, left eye looking straight, right eye on the rear view mirror,... and all this just to steer the car into the right lane..
driving is a lesson in hand, feet and eye coordination..not to mention ears too when dad screams..BRAKE! then there comes advanced lessons in which u r expected to change radio channels, change beam to dipper light, scream at the guy who nearly scraped u, ogle at the cute guy walking his dog..
2.changing gears:i don't know how many of u have had this trouble, but every time i move from neutral to first gear the car shudders to a stop..and specially in bumper to bumper traffic , that is all one does..brake, neutral, first gear accelerate, brake ,neutral.... and on and on .. and it is scary when the car stops in the middle of all this , because people behind u r cursing, the driver beside u is looking to see whats wrong, inquissitive passre bies, cluck in sympathy, or roll their eyes. that's when one gets flustered and starts the car again, releases clutch too soon and again griding halt, tension rises, you begin again, but now your palms are sweaty.. and ..well it's quite a painful situation.
but that is how it happens in life too, it's not difficult to go from third gear to fourth gear, or from 50 km/hr to 60 km/hr. but life tests you when you have to brake, stop, and start again, when you go from 0 km/hr to 10km / hr. when life gives you a blow and you hold your ground, press clutch change gear, halt, but dont come to a stop..well that is when you have passed the test. and even by chance you don't manage to halt, and the car of your life comes to a stop, and all passerbies are clucking at you..you've got to keep your cool, your eyes on the road, and DON'T GET FLUSTERED, it will only make matter's worse...
3.respect: it might be your car, but it is not your road.. sure it's your life do what you will with it, but there are other's who might be harmed because of your recklessness,and that is just not done. respect for pedestrians, other cars, scooterists...
4.concentrate:people who have seen me driving, tell me that i concentrate more while driving than even when i am solving my exam questions, and that is true. it is a kind of meditation for me, the way they say that while meditating the mind id silent and no thought flits, or floats about in the head..that is how driving is for me, no thoughts of what to wear , who to meet, where to eat..none, it is me being hundred percent present , because the repercussions of mind wandering can be catastrophic..
I always thought that i would not be able to totally concentrate, and what if ... but with driving i realise that it is possible . maybe it is the novelty of driving, may be it will wear off, but for the time being ,driving is my meditation..
Comments