More than ten years ago I decided to get my driving licence, passed the test and started driving through the Dutch landscape. However, when I went to college I left driving for more than seven years. A car was too expensive and I actually didn’t need it.
In 2010 it was time to get back on the road. I took new lessons, bought a small car and started driving through the Dutch landscape again. Learning from mistakes and extending my horizon, I drove to the Bayerischer Wald and through the Czech Republic at the border. You know, the Dutch landscapes are quite flat, though the German landscapes are not quite flat at all! I learned driving average steep roads, bending in difficult angles and using my breaks as a pump. After a process of trial-and-error I concluded that I had been brave!
I must say that I am still addicted to my own car, knowing every bit of movement and reaction, the character of the car.
‘Only through mistakes can you see where you’re lacking, where you need to work. We hate mistakes, so we play it safe. Yet long term, nothing could be more dangerous if your goal is to be great at what you do. Instead of getting so dejected by mistakes, we should instead exclaim loudly, raising our arms (or to ourselves) “How Fascinating!” every time we make a mistake. [..] You cannot worry about mistakes and be fully present in the moment at the same time.’
Garr Reynolds (2008) in: Presentation Zen – Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery, New Riders Berkeley CA.
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| Just across the border of the Czech Republic, close to Sumava National Park, I made a jump for joy in the air in front of my car. Photograph by: Pieter de Vries |
