Sucking At Something Is The First Step To Being Sorta Good At Something

For a teenager, I don't really care about driving.

My 15th birthday was back in September.  I didn't get my driver's permit until this new year in January.  I pretty much put it off for four months out of sheer laziness.  And since then, I've barely used it.  When I first got it, I drove up and down my street a couple of times.  But my parents and even I didn't trust myself doing anything beyond that.

Visual representation of me driving.

So my driver's permit has basically been sitting in the corner of my room for the past two months.  Although, I've started to use it recently.  Almost everyday after my track and field practice, my mom would pick me up and she'd pull over once we got off of Kearns Boulevard and turned onto a calmer road that I believe is called Old Highway 40.  I would drive from there and pull over in the Home Depot parking lot and my mother would take back over from there.  The first few times I pretty much sucked.  I kept accidentally swerving into the other lane, driving too fast or too slow for the speed limit, and making extremely sharp turns which almost lead me to drive off of the road and in a ditch.  But eventually after a week or so, I pretty much got the hang of driving on the country road.

A couple of days ago, there was a change of plans.  My mother pulled over in the same spot and I proceeded to drive on the same road I had been practicing on for a couple of weeks.  Except this time, instead of pulling over at Home Depot, she told me to continue past it.  She wanted me to continue driving and pick up my little brother at his friend's house.  I was anxious, but I knew I couldn't drive the same road forever.  So I drove past Home Depot.  Right after it, there was a roundabout that was generally pretty busy.  Luckily for me, it was relatively quiet and there was only one other car in the roundabout before me.  So I awkwardly drove in, accidentally driving exactly in the middle rather than staying to the left.  From there on, I drove on an overpass above the highway, and continued on Highland Drive.  

From there, I was doing okay. Except there was this pissy car behind me.  I, an amateur driver, drove very poorly.  I kept forgetting the speed limit, and when I realized I wasn't at the speed I needed to be, I'd abruptly accelerate or decelerate.  This caused the driver of the car behind me to start honking.  I didn't have to look back for me to know that the driver was ready to flip a table because of me.  Eventually, when I turned into the driveway of my brother's friend's house, the car was able to pass me.  The driver gave me a couple of good honks just to let me know how much I sucked for the final time.  One of the worst parts is that the driver probably got a look at my face and observed two things about me: I'm asian and a woman.  Unfortunately, I was living up to two stereotypes I'm strongly against.  I also felt bad because I was probably close to giving my mother a heart attack.  But hey, I probably didn't do that bad considering that was my first time driving for that long.

Overall, it's kind of sad that I started driving so late.  If I actually cared and got my permit on my birthday like most kids my age, I would probably be a lot better than I am now.  So because of the skill level I'm at now, I probably won't get my actual license when I turn 16, which is a bummer.  I guess that means I'll have to work hard to make it happen.  And sure, random driver behind me, I know I suck at driving.  But as Jake the Dog would say, sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something, right?

(Via Sadmoment)

Bands And What They Remind Me Of

(Via Colossal)

Sometimes when I listen to certain bands, I get a specific feeling.  Sometimes it's a feeling of nostalgia, back to when I first listened to the band and where I was in my life at that moment in time.  Other times the vibe of the band reminds me of a force of nature or a season.  

Once I start to analyze my favorite bands and classify them in such ways, I get carried away in deep thought.  So I decided I'd write a blog post about my a few of favorite bands and what I think of when I hear them.

Fall Out Boy

This band reminds me of wintertime.  A scene I visualize when I listen to them is fresh snow falling from the sky in the middle of winter.  It's the dead of night, and you're trudging down the street with the only the Chicago city lights illuminating your way.  The pollution from the dense city prevents a majority of the stars to shine through.  You exhale and watch your breath freeze in midair. It's cold and you're tired and you had a tough day.  Maybe it was a rough day at work. Maybe you had a bad breakup.  Regardless, all you want to do is get home and hope tomorrow is a better day.  You watch the storm rage on, knowing you still have a long way to go.

Panic! At The Disco

This band reminds me of fall.  A scene I visualize is an evening on the strip of Las Vegas.  Generally, the weather had been really hot considering you were in the desert.  But once fall had begun, it had become the perfect weather.  You had just had a great day.  Whether you had been promoted at work or you found a new significant other, you felt like you were on top of the world.  So for whatever achievement you made, you decided you deserved a reward.  You walk down the strip, gazing at each neon sign, while simultaneously avoiding the early hustle of late night party goers.  Some signs were for casinos, others were for bars.  It didn't matter where you went, all you knew is you were going to have a good time.

Twenty One Pilots

This band reminds me of springtime.  A scene I visualize is a dirty room before spring cleaning.  Spring was meant for new beginnings, so a good first step was to clean a musty room.  As you sift through all of your old belongings and memories that were catching dust, you realize you don't need them anymore.  You throw out your past, eager to start anew.  Once everything you once knew had been washed away, you open up the windows and allow the brisk air to flow in.  You sigh, excited yet anxious to start again.

Walk the Moon

This band reminds me of summertime.  A scene I visualize is a road trip along the California coast in the extreme heat of summer.  It's evening, and you're cruising down the Esplanade on the edge of the ocean with your closest friends.  You can see the orange sun glisten off of each ocean wave as they crash on the shore, inching up and then being dragged back into the vast ocean from which it came.  The salty air billows through your hair while you also breathe it in.  You decide to pull over and go to the beach before the sun sets. As you run with the sand getting in your shoes, a childish grin plasters across your face.  You have no worries.  You have no destination.  Life is an adventure, and you want to live it that way.

These were just some scenes I visualized while listening to the music.  I suppose it got a little too philosophical.  I guess you'd be surprised what you think about if you analyze what you listen to.