Driving school

When we first met, she was learning to drive. She had a preliminary license that allowed her to drive but only in the company of a fully licensed driver. That fully licensed driver would be me. Evening after evening we went out practicing for her upcoming next-level driving test.

Her driving ability was poor. She needed a little guidance and a lot of practice. This became an enjoyable activity. We bonded over it (or so I thought). We spent about maybe six weeks engaged in this most evenings ( #trauma-bond #idealization ) .

It later transpired that this never happened ( #history-revision #gaslighting ) . I was not the person who helped her get that next-level driving license, it was her Aunt ( #history-revision #devaluation ) . And that was that and that remains that.

Retrospectively, closer to those times when it was clear that I wasn’t getting credit, fair enough I thought, after all, a good referee goes unnoticed, I took it as a kind of complement. It was and remains of course a blatant devaluation ( #devaluation #manipulation ) .