A few years ago, it became apparent to my wife and I that we needed to buy a car for our expanding family. We both had driver's licences but hadn't driven in a few years, so were quite nervous thinking about our first few trips in the brand spanking new hatchback.
I got the hang of it pretty quickly, despite one terrifying evening of driving round north Belfast with the interior light on and the headlights off, wondering why the hell people were blaring their horns and shaking their fists at me.
After a while, my extremely tentative wife asked me to take her out for a driving lesson. She made me promise not to shout.
But, after swinging on to Sandyknowes roundabout at forty miles an hour in front of a bin lorry (which just missed us), one screaming fit (me) and a prolonged bout of crying (her), we decided not to pursue this obviously insane course of action any further, and to book a few driving lessons instead.
We found a company in the local listings , and a guy called Manuel took my wife out for a few lessons. I wasn't there, obviously, but by all accounts he was calm, instructive and had the patience of a saint. All the qualities I lack, essentially.
I still do the lion's share of the driving as the Sandyknowes incident has psychologically scarred me for life, but my wife has no bother now in jumping into the car for the school runs or whatever.
Thanks folks, don't know how you did it! read more