Driving (safely) toward greater freedom

One of the greatest things (at least in my opinion, although I do believe that my fellow sophomores would agree with me) about being a sophomore is reaching the age of sweet 16 and being able to drive.

At last my birthday is here and I can get my license.

I'm so excited to be able to drive; I've been patiently waiting -- and waiting and waiting -- all year while my friends get their licenses. I am thankful that my birthday isn't later in the year than it already is.

The nervous excitement I feel when I get behind the wheel and take off is amazing. I love the feeling of driving; it makes me feel more independent and in control. Though I'm a cautious driver who doesn't speed, always uses my blinkers and doesn't really do anything reckless, I still find it to be a liberating experience.

However, learning how to drive was an experience that was definitely interesting.

I was fortunate enough to pass my permit test on the first try but was still nervous about getting behind the wheel. The first couple of months that I had my permit I would only drive at night because there were less cars on the road and I was terrified to run into somebody.

But that was driving my mom's car, which is an automatic. The real test came when my dad put me in his truck that was a stick shift. Luckily, I was only driving up and down our driveway (I live out in the country and have a long driveway) while I was practicing because I managed to kill the truck at least 10 times in just as many minutes. Though I got the hang of it, I'm still nervous about driving a stick shift on the road.

There are many benefits to driving, especially if you are a member of clubs and other activities.

The thought of no longer having to convince my brother to take me to school early for a club meeting or have my mom pick me up after school from practice is like music to my ears.

So to all of my fellow sophomores and drivers, I encourage you all to have fun while driving, but be safe too and don't forget to wear your seat belt!

Carlie Cattron is a sophomore trying to find her way through the halls of Jackson High School and documenting it in a monthly column.