I believe in driving. Driving is good for anger, sadness, and for the thrill. When I jump into my car, all my worries go away and I become a driver. With the clutch in, and with the turn of the key, the engine begins to speak. As I begin a slow roll out of the driveway, all my worries float away. It’s not until I hit the highway that the real driving therapy kicks in. Although it’s not a good idea to drive with an altered state of mind, meaning angry, sad, or overly excited, I find it very helpful to release these emotions. For instance, after my senior year homecoming dance, my girlfriend and I got into an argument leaving me irate. So after I dropped her off at home, I decided to take a quick drive to calm myself down. Even though, the drive was just around the block, it gave me time to think about what just happened and how I can solve it.
On the other hand, there is the straight up thrill of driving. We have all heard the saying, “Drive it like you stole it”, right? Well drive your car like you stole it. When I want to get a good thrill, I usually will hit up some mountain roads and test the limits of my car. As I fly around the mountain corners, feeling the slight Gs, hearing the hum of the tires itching for more grip, and accelerating at the apex, I make very corner as perfect as I can. My adrenaline begins to rush and fill me with excitement. As you reach the end of the mountain road, you get a brush of relief, for you know you conquered the road.
I believe in driving, for I am a driver!