There was a time when I was a complete wagon behind the wheel. Yes I was that unpleasant ‘girl-racer’ who would have tailgated you for driving too slowly or not merging quickly enough onto the motorway (although that still really bugs me!) I was the person whose blood pressure would skyrocket if another driver dared to cut me off in heavy traffic. I was the cow who would curse like a sailor and deploy a range of descriptive hand signals at other drivers who appeared to be waiting for a written invitation to get out onto the main road. I lamented at just how ‘awful’ every other driver was and questioned if the driving instructor who gave them their licence might have been smoking pot that day or did he just need to go to Specsavers? And don’t get even me started on the geniuses who never indicated at a roundabout and expected me to get my crystal ball out as to which way they were going. I liked to speed the radio up loud and when the mood took me, I wasn’t shy about bellowing out a power ballad or two while I was at it. In short, I was a complete wagon. But last week I found myself being tailgated by a Micra…
Oh how motherhood has changed me!
‘A Micra? The beloved mode of transport for nuns and sandal wearing old ladies with no teeth?!' I could not believe it, but it was actually happening. There I was driving on my way home from doing the groceries and boom an ‘aul one’ in a Micra was right up my rear end. This wasn’t me I thought! The old me, would have bombed down the dual carriageway and left that Micra for dust as I belted out a classic from Britney, Mariah or even Celine, but not these days. These days, I’ve morphed into a responsible mammy who spends her driving time going slowly around the corners and obeying the speed limit as I glance back at my baby boy in his car seat in that cute mirror with the mickey mouse ears. These days I ignore that tempting urge to boot down the open road and instead huff and puff behind the wheel, as I call out other drivers for their reckless behaviour like tailgating, passing on the inside on the motorway and God forbid even speeding. ‘I’d never drive like that,’ I now mutter to myself and when someone then dares to drive up my tail, I think can they not see my baby on board sign? as they inevitably end up zooming past me shaking their head at my new sensible driving habits.
Yes, it has become clear that motherhood has changed me in so many ways. I’ve somehow become the responsible adult, who’s now completely accountable to this little bundle of gorgeousness. Life now revolves around him and my priorities have changed. That said, when I do find myself behind the wheel with no baby on board… well let’s just say I might just have to get those power ballads out again!