In life, there are a handful of milestones: first words, first steps, first day of school. But when you miss out on a coming-of-age moment, it can feel pretty sucky.
Since I was a little girl, I’ve always wanted to drive. I remember zooming around the backyard in a plastic toy car, my tiny feet propelling me Flintstones-style. And now that I’m 17, I’m even more eager to get behind the wheel.
But the reality is, I’m nowhere close to having my driver’s license. It’s because my parents are scared.
My mom has a friend whose teenaged daughter died when her car flipped on an exit ramp close to our house. My parents offer to drive me–the only problem is they’re not always free when I need to be somewhere. So my social life depends on my parents’ availability.
My parents and I have come to an agreement–I’ll wait until I’m 18 to drive. As much as I want to have my license, I realize there are a lot of responsibilities that come with that privilege.
So for now, I’ll leave growing up for further down the road.