So.. I'm older.  Much older than most people when they start driving lessons.  I've put this off forever because I've convinced myself that I will be terrible at it and that I have no business on the road.  Also ADHD doesn't help.

Anyway I have SOME prior experience being taught by a friend but that's it, and it wasn't great.  I'd been dodging the instructor because I was scared but also convincing myself that **he** was the one being flaky.  He called me last night and asked if I had any time today to which I said yes I do.  From that point on my heart was pounding because now I'm committed to operating a motor vehicle within the next 18 hours of my life.  There was no escaping.

He calls me around noon today and says "I'll be there in 15 minutes".  FUCK.  FUCKITY FUCK FUCK FUCKING FUCK.

We get in the car and the instructor could tell I was super nervous so we spent the first 10 minutes talking.  He alleviated my anxiety and obvious extreme nervousness quite a bit, told me to take a few deep breaths and made a point to tell me when I looked tense while I was driving.

He kept with the positive reinforcement the entire time, eg "You're doing great, what are you worried about?  Relax your shoulders, everything is fine.  Good job." and so on.  The hour went by quickly and I'm feeling so much more confident with things.  I've got 9 more hours with this instructor and if they go as well as this one did then maybe my anxieties around driving were all for nothing.

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So today was a win.