Add this to my list of weaknesses...
If you're like me, one bad experience at something can scar you for life. It's not that I won't try it again but when I do it will be with fear, worry, and lack of confidence which usually means I sabotage myself, get the same bad results, and THEN decide to avoid it at all costs.
So, let's talk about parallel parking. Shall we?
Back in the mid-90's, in my hometown, the fact that I was a female who also earned good grades in school meant that I wasn't required to take driver's ed. You should also know that my driving test consisted of driving, changing lanes, turning, and parking. That's it. Needless to say, I only sort of learned to parallel park. I've always lived in the suburbs and Brian usually does the driving so I've never really needed the skill. I vaguely recall attempting it on my own once in high school but then not again until this year.
I was headed downtown by myself to meet up with some friends after work in July and after circling for many minutes, I started to sweat as I realized I was going to have to parallel park. I tend to learn from observation and I'd seen Brian do it many times so was willing to bet I could figure it out. To my amazement, I did it perfectly on the first attempt. I felt pret-ty proud for not having done it in, oh...13 years? I thought that it was possible I just might be innately awesome at parallel parking and I walked down the street with pride, resisting the urge to tell others on the street what I had just done.
Fast forward to our move to Glenwood Springs in August. We are no longer suburbanites and our only option is street parking. I wasn't entirely concerned about it because I had nailed it the last time so when I got home after running errands and saw I would need to parallel park I did my thing and...I rocked it again. I seriously thought I was born to parallel park but, that can't be true or I wouldn't be writing this...
One day a few weeks ago I went to park and I royally screwed it up. I ended up hitting the curb and couldn't seem to correct it. We live on a busy street; other drivers were getting mad at me, store front clerks & pedestrians were watching me with smirks on their faces and I had to just give up and drive away. I was sweating and embarrassed and ended up parking at the other end of town in the overnight parking lot because I was feeling too defeated to attempt any fancy work again.
As I mentioned at the beginning, one bad experience will scar me but I will still chalk it up as a fluke and give it another shot. The next day, I got so nervous that I was again unsuccessful and ended up parking two blocks away. I had just finished grocery shopping and I wanted to crawl into my hole as quickly as possible so I was determined to get home in one trip. I feel pretty blessed that my arms didn't fall of entirely when I got home with my many bags of groceries; and I've continued to avoid parallel parking at all costs.
This week I saw a spot and thought I had given it enough time that I should try it again. I had also done some research on the interwebs and felt I had some good tips in my brain pocket to help me be successful. I have no idea what happened but my heart immediately started pounding and when I looked up and saw traffic coming up behind me, I froze. I don't even know what you would call what I attempted but it was amazingly awful and I ended up driving away.
As it stands at this point in time, I abhor parallel parking BUT even though I feel so defeated I also feel determined to regain my confidence. I know that parallel-parking-rock-star is in me somewhere. I've seen glimpses of her and I want her back.
My new mission in life is to hunt down a place to practice where there isn't traffic barreling towards me or people standing there ogling. I don't need any more verbal tips, I just need to physically do it until I feel like I could slide right in and proudly proclaim, "LIIIIKE A GLOVE".
So, let's talk about parallel parking. Shall we?
Back in the mid-90's, in my hometown, the fact that I was a female who also earned good grades in school meant that I wasn't required to take driver's ed. You should also know that my driving test consisted of driving, changing lanes, turning, and parking. That's it. Needless to say, I only sort of learned to parallel park. I've always lived in the suburbs and Brian usually does the driving so I've never really needed the skill. I vaguely recall attempting it on my own once in high school but then not again until this year.
I was headed downtown by myself to meet up with some friends after work in July and after circling for many minutes, I started to sweat as I realized I was going to have to parallel park. I tend to learn from observation and I'd seen Brian do it many times so was willing to bet I could figure it out. To my amazement, I did it perfectly on the first attempt. I felt pret-ty proud for not having done it in, oh...13 years? I thought that it was possible I just might be innately awesome at parallel parking and I walked down the street with pride, resisting the urge to tell others on the street what I had just done.
Fast forward to our move to Glenwood Springs in August. We are no longer suburbanites and our only option is street parking. I wasn't entirely concerned about it because I had nailed it the last time so when I got home after running errands and saw I would need to parallel park I did my thing and...I rocked it again. I seriously thought I was born to parallel park but, that can't be true or I wouldn't be writing this...
One day a few weeks ago I went to park and I royally screwed it up. I ended up hitting the curb and couldn't seem to correct it. We live on a busy street; other drivers were getting mad at me, store front clerks & pedestrians were watching me with smirks on their faces and I had to just give up and drive away. I was sweating and embarrassed and ended up parking at the other end of town in the overnight parking lot because I was feeling too defeated to attempt any fancy work again.
As I mentioned at the beginning, one bad experience will scar me but I will still chalk it up as a fluke and give it another shot. The next day, I got so nervous that I was again unsuccessful and ended up parking two blocks away. I had just finished grocery shopping and I wanted to crawl into my hole as quickly as possible so I was determined to get home in one trip. I feel pretty blessed that my arms didn't fall of entirely when I got home with my many bags of groceries; and I've continued to avoid parallel parking at all costs.
This week I saw a spot and thought I had given it enough time that I should try it again. I had also done some research on the interwebs and felt I had some good tips in my brain pocket to help me be successful. I have no idea what happened but my heart immediately started pounding and when I looked up and saw traffic coming up behind me, I froze. I don't even know what you would call what I attempted but it was amazingly awful and I ended up driving away.
As it stands at this point in time, I abhor parallel parking BUT even though I feel so defeated I also feel determined to regain my confidence. I know that parallel-parking-rock-star is in me somewhere. I've seen glimpses of her and I want her back.
My new mission in life is to hunt down a place to practice where there isn't traffic barreling towards me or people standing there ogling. I don't need any more verbal tips, I just need to physically do it until I feel like I could slide right in and proudly proclaim, "LIIIIKE A GLOVE".
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