I was nervous all day at school on my sixteenth birthday. I don't really remember anything about school that day except waiting for my mom to pick me up and take me to get my license. When I entered the DMV, I suddenly understood all the jokes people make about it, it was complete chaos. One line to register, one for the eye test, one line for the written test, another for the road test, and finally another line for a photo. The people who worked there treated everyone like a number, or something that they had to endure. I entered the DMV a child but when I emerged I was an adult. I somehow felt that navigating that chaos had aged me, or that suffering through a government bureaucracy was a right of passage into adulthood. But whatever the case, I had my license and was an adult.
I drove the way home with my mom in the passenger seat, and I never felt so mature or free. But then came the responsibility part. That night my parents sat me down and explained how driving...
They told me if I wanted to drive the family car, I had to pay for my insurance. And while it wasn't much, it was a financial expenditure that I had not foreseen. They also told me that I had to pay for the gas I used, and perform other chores around the house in exchange for my using the car. These were all things I had not anticipated prior to actually getting my license.
Driving a car allowed me the freedom to go where I wanted, stay as long as I wanted, and even date girls. It seems that getting a driver's license is a step that coincides with becoming an adult. Not only does a child suddenly gain a great amount of freedom, but also is required to assume a great deal of responsibilities. I dreamt about the freedom for a long time before getting my license, but spent little time considering the responsibilities. However, after enduring the DMV, the responsibilities accompanying a driver's license seem small by comparison.
