Stay Safe

Freshman year, you are fresh out of middle school and you are on your first day of highschool and you can see the juniors as they all pull into the school’s parking lot talking about what they plan on doing after school. Chatting about heading to the mall and going to all your favorite food spots. While you’re sitting in the back of your mom’s minivan being dropped off in the car loop like elementary school.

A driver’s license is the one thing many high school students long for. Handing the keys to a 15 year old driver with 3 of their friends in the back of the car is like giving a toddler a knife. Due to this new found freedom teens become reckless in order to show off their maturity level to their friends.

I was this teen. I had just gotten my driver license after having my learner’s permit for about 3 months. I was living the life for about a week. I am from a Mexican American family. The expectations of being a female are extreme. You are taught from a young age to cook and clean to become a good wife once you are out of high school. As I am a student I have to also clean the house chores, cooking while also raising my younger sister due to both of my parents working hard low paying jobs. These expectations lead to depression, this was a constant cycle of school, home, chores and making dinner. If things were not done to perfection it was a screamfest of words like “lazy” and “good for nothing”.But my worries were over I got my driver’s license I was able to travel outside of my home I could go to the beach everyday, go to all my favorite food spots, I could stay out late drive wherever I want. But I was sadly mistaken, the first day I got my licenses it was an expansion of expectations there was a huge barrier on where I was allowed to go. And as a 15 year old this was the worst thing that could possibly ever happen in the world.

That day, I was driving around Walmart buying groceries per the normal. I was pulling out of the parking lot and I was connecting my phone to the car on a phone holder on my dash while I talked with a friend. It was a normal day like any other. I stopped at the stop sign to exit the Walmart parking lot and waited for the pedestrians to pass so I could turn left. I could hear the sound of the engine from my dads lifted red 2016 Chevrolet colorado. I hated this car, I argued with my mom that it was super uncomfortable to drive but she explained it was this or I can walk to school. So I dealt with it anyway. I could see the Walmart doors open and close as people came in and out. I saw my chance to go so I turned my wheel and stepped on the gas. Something was off. I saw a women appear in the front of my car near the right headlight. I slammed the brakes as hard as I could. But it was too late, she was on the floor and my heart stopped completely. I set the car in park and ran to help her, I was shaking, my legs were shaking, my parents would completely lose it if I didn’t even fold a blanket the right way. I had just hit a person with my car, I thought of ever possible scenario of what my parents would do to me, I thought of me behind bars in an orange jumpsuit. In my head I am screaming it was an accident. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t see her. I’m so sorry, I wanted to tell her I’m sorry but the words wouldn’t come out. She was escorted to the hospital.

That night as I got home I was terrified of what could happen, I was worried about her, what if she had children. A family and I took that way all because of my stupid mistake. I was careless, it took me weeks to get the courage to get behind the wheel again, there was nothing I could do that would be a good enough apology for what I did to her. I live with the thought of her in my mind everyday when I am behind the wheel. I am now 17. My friends were just like me that day. They hit speeds of over 15 over the speed limit in order to impress the people in the car. However I swore to never drive carelessly ever again. The lives of others are important and should not be thought of carelessly. I hope my story can encourage others who have recently received a driver’s license to be careful of how they drive and to stay safe.