The silver VW Polo has been sitting in the drive for months… Broken branches, dirt and fallen leaves have taken a permanent residence on the dusty windscreen. The autumn has not been kind at all because we have had many adverse weather conditions and winter has brought more of the same and worse… Storm Desmond and Storm Gertrude have battered the UK mainland with hurricane force winds of up to 144mph which caused severe flooding and loss of power in the North East, parts of Scotland and Wales and also severe damage to goods and property. It has left its mark on the VW polo outside in the driveway too…
The VW Polo was affectionately called Noddy by my oldest daughter a few years ago. This car belonged to my oldest and was handed down to my daughter when she started driving, so it has changed hands a few times. However, each owner has taken great care of him and treated him with the love and respect he deserved… Alas, Noddy has seen happier days and now he is just a shadow of his former self… He sits in the corner in front of the small single garage like a lonely, lost old soul with nobody who really cares…
Oh dear, the last six months have taken its told… Noddy has lost his shine and lustre… he is a sad and unloved old relic now and so he will remain for the foreseeable future unless he finds a new mistress or master.
Nine months ago, Noddy sported a wonderful exciting new learner plate on the back and front bumpers. His occupant and mistress could not wait to get home from school to go driving. His mistress could not contain her excitement and anticipation… when she passed her theory test, the ultimate goal was definitely in sight and she could almost see the finish line. It was only just a question of formality now because the driving instructor had said that she was one of his best students. However, when mistress failed her driving test on that wet, stormy, blustery afternoon, it was just a minor set back because she only committed two minors. The one major mistake at the roundabout was not her fault… a nippy little sports car appeared out of nowhere and made her panic just before the finish line! It was just an unfortunate series of events…
Today, Noddy’s body work is suffering from the trauma of the wind, the rain, storm Desmond, storm Gertrude and the debris they left behind…
Mistress had put the second driving test on hold so she could concentrate on her A Level exams in order to get the A* AA grades she needed to achieve, to secure her first choice University place to study natural sciences. In theory, this was going to be the responsible and intelligent thing to do… Once the exams were out of the way she could really focus on the driving and pass the test… No problem.
Afterwards, Noddy was going to have a respray and he was going to have a beautiful shining new fashionable coat… Mistress was going to be happy to fly around in faithful revamped Noddy.
However all this was wishful thinking, because after exams, mistress had a momentary lapse of judgement and forgot that she had to be responsible and that she could not party all night, every night while she was on holiday with her friends to celebrate the end of school and end of exams. On the last day of a five day holiday in Cyprus she had an epileptic seizure half an hour before she was due to leave for the airport on the return trip back to the UK. She was rushed by ambulance to the nearest hospital in Ayia Napa. she was hospitalised for four days. Noddy’s mistress had to learn a very difficult lesson… to fly solo. you have to be responsible for your own well being and you have to be the chief executive of your own life.
Mistress learnt that she was not invincible and now she has to navigate the twists and turns of life and learn how to fly safely.
The driving aspirations had to be put on hold for the foreseeable future because mistress had to be two years seizure free before she is allowed to drive now. Mistress is really sad about this because she will have to re sit her theory test. However, her safety and the safety of other road users are of paramount importance. Thus, this is a small price to pay for a lapse of judgement.
It is very difficult to let them go, but they have to learn to fly by themselves. We can only give them the tools and teach them how to use them safely. They will make mistakes but if you are afraid to fail, you will not have the courage to discover your true potential. You have to see beyond the act of flying… You have to navigate the route and land safely too!!!
Happy and safe flying to all our nestlings out there! Solo flights, university, adulthood, families, careers and life awaits! Take up the challenge and don’t forget to enjoy the ride.
Empty Nest Together 