Sometimes people will get on your nerves, it’s gonna happen. Chances are, if you take the time to learn about whoever really irritates you, it could benefit you and them. To all those who know annoying people, I’d invite you to take another look at them, you might find a way to deal with them that you didn’t see before.
Sometime towards the end of June, in the summer of 2015, I got my permit, I was thrilled to finally get to sit in the driver seat. My parents took me on a few drives in my small neighborhood and though it felt a little strange to be the one controlling the car, it also felt good and I enjoyed those drives, but soon I would have to start going to driver’s ed, not exactly the place you want to be during the summer.

“Brayden?” A man with a scruffy brown beard and a gray cap asked as he looked up at me from his chair.

“Yup thats me” I was at the drivers ed place called Big Johns for my first drive with an instructor. The bearded man's name was Andrew, he checked my permit, then gave me the keys to a red Mustang outside Big Johns. The drive was an hour long through small neighborhoods and on the freeway. It was somewhat enjoyable and Andrew was a funny guy which helped make the drive more exciting. My first drive was a success.

Later that week I had another drive scheduled. I drove to the school with hopes of enjoying the second drive as much as the first. When I walk in, Andrew was not there, instead in his place was an old gray haired man.
“We’re taking the white car outside.” he said grumpily as he handed me the keys.

I soon realized that I was lucky on my first drive. My first drive was fun, Andrew made jokes and had a sense of humor. My new instructor, Daryl, was the most serious, humorless person i’ve ever met. He spoke in an unenthusiastic mono-toned voice, but that wasn’t the worst part about the drive, on these drives the instructors are supposed to observe you and either push on a break or adjust the steering wheel when necessary. In Daryl’s mind, at all times, when a decrease in speed was required, the use of his break was also required. Everytime we came to a stop sign or stoplight he would excessively use his break and any time we needed to make a lane change he would grab the steering wheel and turn it for me. During this drive, Daryl informed me that he had dropped his pocket knife in some grass next to the road earlier that day and he decided that we were going to drive to that place and he might find his trusty knife.

Towards the end of the drive we stopped by this place where he dropped it, he searched for a bit and got back in the car.

“Huh… I know I dropped it there, but I can’t find it. I go everywhere with that pocket knife, it’s a really good knife.” He frowned, more so than usual and shook his head, “Someone must have seen it there in the grass and took it. It was a really good knife, I always took it with me.”

I was getting annoyed. So he lost his knife, that’s too bad and it’s very possible that someone did take it, but the problem was that the entire rest of the drive he talked about that knife, saying pretty much the same thing over and over again but worded differently.  I was so happy to finish the drive, not sure how much longer I could have lasted in there.

I dreaded going to driver’s ed every time after that, though sometimes I got Andrew, other times I got Daryl, there was no way of knowing who it’d be. One day I walked in to see Daryl sitting there ready for our drive. I got in the car, took a deep breath and we were off. Just as bad as usual he used his break and adjusted the steering wheel. Aghhh! It was so annoying, but I didn’t say anything. I thought for a second, then an idea came. What if i got him distracted? Maybe he’d stop making unnecessary adjustments to my driving. I decided to try and get him engaged in a conversation to get his mind off my driving.

“So… How are you?” I asked.

“Good.”

That’s all he said, just good. How was I going to get him into a conversation!? We have nothing in common. Then a thought came.

“You ever find that pocket knife of yours?” I asked hoping this would get him distracted.

Daryl looked at me for a second then spoke. “No, but I went and got a new one. It’s exactly the same as my old one.” He went on and on about the knife and I kept asking questions and nodding my head. Daryl stopped using his instructor brakes and he quite grasping the steering wheel. the rest of the drive was great, I kept a conversation the rest of the time and he stayed occupied talking with me. I was excited to learn when I finished the drive that all I had to do was get a conversation going to keep Daryl under control. Now it didn’t matter what instructor I had, the drives went smooth and were fun and maybe soon I’ll get my license!
So for all those who are easily irritated by somebody and you don’t know how to deal with their annoyance; try the approach that worked for me. I found a way to deal with someone who annoys me, why can’t you? Take the time to  learn more about the person who annoys you and maybe you’ll find a way to get over what bothers you about them.