I read the article A Crash Course in Coolness by Emily Doughan and really identified with it. Before I got my license last October, I longed to have it and all the freedom that came with it. My license would finally elevate me to cool kid status after 16 and a half years of being the nerdy, awkward Harry Potter lover.
While I’ve had my license and while I’ve seen other kids get their licenses, I’ve realized that it doesn’t make or break your coolness. The same kids that were always “popular” are still popular. I’m still a nerdy, hopefully less awkward Harry Potter lover. Sure my license is convenient, but for me getting it was a crash course in growing up and accepting all the responsibilities that came with it, not coolness. I think that in the end, Emily learned the same lesson from her license that I did: the coolest people are the one’s who are responsible, caring, and able to laugh things off.