An Ending and a Beginning

As we go into a new year, we tend to look back and are often surprised at just how much has changed since this time last year.  For me today is especially significant.  I am waiting for my little faithful car to be driven off our driveway by someone else and not to be returned to me.  I have cleaned and tidied up the interior and removed all my own personal stuff.

I have been finding it increasingly stressful driving the car, particularly during the dark months when the weather can often be wet and at worst slippery.  As I get older, it seems that drivers are more impatient.  I think really that it possibly has to do with the fact that my reactions are slower than before and so I have come to the decision to give up driving for good, for the safety of all on the road! – and a less stressful life for myself.  It sounds drastic but with online shopping facilities and a free bus pass, I’m sure I’ll soon get used to doing things a little differently without too much upset.  No more concerns about tyre pressure or a suitable place to park. 

Another upside of course is financial – no more paying for road tax, insurance, service and MOT, let alone the ever rising price of petrol or parking fees.  That should pay for a few taxi fares and maybe a few days away.  So today is not only the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one for me but it is the end of an era – my driving years - and a new way of seeing the world.  I’m looking forward already to my new life after cars.