As I pulled off the track, dirt in my eyes, heart pumping pure adrenaline, I was wearing a smile. I knew that I had to do stuff like this more often.
My boyfriend, Erik, and I joined his dad out at a dirt race track in what seemed like the middle of no where last night. We were really in Homerville, GA (thanks I-Phone for putting locations on my pictures so I knew where I was). This dirt go-kart track was actually in a man's front yard. We were invited out there to watch the racers practice, so why not? We're on Christmas break anyways, what else do we have to do?
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We get out there and stand with Erik's dad about 3 foot from the track. He has his own kart that he built out there. The first thing that comes out of his mouth is, "You wanna drive it?". My eyes didn't leave the karts already racing around the track as I nodded my head yes. Yes, I really wanted to, but would I ever actually get out there in front of all the people there and do something I've never done in my life? No chance.
But John Lee took it seriously.
Erik's dad held off the oncoming drivers and asked if I could have a go at it. "She's never done this before", he explained to them and they agreed to let me have my turn out on the track. waited my turn for an hour or more with my helmet already on. My legs were shaking and I swear I was going to pee in my pants. I couldn't even coordinate my legs to climb into the kart, but once I got in it my heart leaped. Especially since I wasn't tall enough to even push the pedals down full throttle. He told me, "Gas is on the right and break is on the left", so fast that I screamed, "What?" over the motor of the kart.
"You'll figure it out", he said. And so I did.
I whipped on the track and started flying around the first turn. Tires skidding, dirt flying in my eyes and all over my pants, I loved it already. I automatically didn't care what the people around me were thinking. The main reason why I didn't want to get out there was because I was worried what they would think about me. I didn't want their judgement. I didn't want it even though I only knew two people out there, Erik and his dad.
As soon as I got out there and did it- forced myself out there, I really loved it. Yeah this might be a stretch, but it taught me to get out there. To put myself out there and do the things that I actually want to do no matter what people think of me. I can't be scared of other people's judgement.
The only sad, but really funny, thing is, I thought I was flying just like the people driving before me. But looking back at the video Erik took of me, I was absolutely crawling around the track because I couldn't push the pedal hard enough to even come close to the other people's speed. I'll just know to get a kids kart next time.
So for this new year, I hope I can get on that years go-karts (metaphorically speaking) . Put myself out there and allow myself to do the fun things that my heart wants to do but my fear won't let me do.
Erik stepped on the track and waved me down as I was coming around the corner and when I got up to him all he said was, "go faster". It made me smile all over again.
