On marriage and motorcars

I was about four years old when I got in my first crash. It was midwinter on a frozen Lake Muskoka, where I over-eagerly ran my Kitty Kat straight into the back of my grandfather's snowmobile. For those of you who don't know, a Kitty Kat is the Arctic Cat brand's child-size snowmobile. It only has about five horsepower, but when you're barely over two feet tall, that's a substantial amount of speed. No damage was done to either machine, but for the seventeen years that followed, that incident was considered to be the foreshadowing to my driving future. My father and brothers, especially, expressed considerable doubt in my ability to ever successfully operate a motorized vehicle. I received a bicycle on my sixteenth birthday, with the understanding that it was probably the fastest-paced machine I should ever be in control of.
Now, I'm 21 years old. To my great embarrassment, I still only have my G1 license. I've managed to avoid advancement by utilizing public transit at school, and exploiting my family, friends, and bicycle when I'm home. However, with graduation only a year away, the time has come for me to finally go that one step further: obtaining my G2. Practice makes perfect, as they say, so I resolved that I ought to practice as much as possible while I am home. Unfortunately, my mother doesn't have the fortitude to withstand my heavy foot on the gas, or the mild amount of whiplash that comes with every stop sign. My father, a fantastic driver, is one of those rare people who innately understand driving, and therefore struggle to teach it. Therefore, the task of accompanying me on my driving attempts was left to a friend who doesn't mind the occasional death-defying outing, and as the summer's gone on, I've noticed that it's much easier to drive when the passengers don't expect to die every time.
Along with my attempts to operate the family car, I've also spent a substantial amount of time attending weddings, or helping plan for a few that will be taking place next year. While marriage is a LONG way off for me, it's exciting to experience it all vicariously. I love the excitement, and seeing how each couple's big day is planned in such a way to fit them perfectly. I'm a big fan of special occasions, romance, and matching colours… so wedding planning easily fits onto my idea of a good time. This sentiment isn't one shared by all, though - many of my friends have sworn off marriage. Citing divorce statistics, personal experience, and claiming that the 'old-fashioned' principles of marriage are no longer relevant to our current society, they've given up on the idea of getting married. Personally, I disagree with them. While I certainly don't think marriage is necessarily any better than being single, I don't believe that it's lost relevance to society. There is something very special and sacred about joining lives and promising to work with one another, through better and worse, and to be very intentional in promising to be devoted to only one person. Granted, it isn't always taken seriously, and it doesn't always work out, but I've seen proof that it can, and that when it does, it's incredible.
I've noticed a great deal of connection between my efforts to drive, and between the idea of marriage in general. For instance, neither marriage nor driving is for everybody. Some people should use transit, and some people are perfectly satisfied on their own. However, with that in mind, neither marriage or driving should be avoided or condemned out of fear. They should not be committed to casually or without thought, but with the understanding that they come with a substantial responsibility - both to oneself, the other person on board, and to others affected. They are both aided by preparedness, and less foreboding when supported by knowledgeable, helpful people. Both marriage and driving can be scary to begin, but once people become accustomed to them, the biggest thing to watch out for is becoming careless, not recognizing potential problems, or dealing with them inappropriately. Both have a basic, simple purpose: for driving, the purpose is to safely get you where you want to be. For marriage, it allows you to formally commit your life to someone else. There is definitely a lot more to it than these essential purposes, but that's where it starts. When it gets tough or stressful, both require patience to keep working through the challenges. We are not doomed to repeat our histories or fears, nor the fears and histories of our friends and family, either. But with that said, it tends to raise the odds for success when you avoid repeating mistakes.
I'm not a driving expert, and I've never been married, so this is all based on my observation and theory. Take from it what you will. It's different for everybody, and what works for one person may not work for another. Ultimately, however, in both marriage, and driving, it's all about whom you're with: I would imagine that even the best driver would deal with some challenges with a minivan full of hyped-up preschoolers and puppies… and with marriage, it's always easier when you're partnered with someone you're actually compatible with. Ideally, you end up in a situation where you can look at the person next to you, the road ahead, and enjoy the ride.