by Alex Család
Yesterday was a good day—for an old man like me. I made a young girl very happy, and I didn’t see it coming. You could say serendipity is still following me, even now at the age of 78.
I still work as a driving instructor and an older driver assessor. Honestly, I don’t need to work, but self-publishing my book, The Diary of Parallel Serendipity, hasn’t come without costs. Every dollar I earn now, I put aside to help finance something even bigger—a movie adaptation of my story.
But back to yesterday. It’s about two young people who asked me to help them convert their overseas licences. I won’t mention their names. Let’s just call them The Boy and The Girl.
I had high hopes for the boy. He was polite, focused, and after just a few hours of training, his driving was excellent. He even gave me top marks as an instructor. On the day of the test, I was embarrassed—I completely forgot the pickup time. I had to call him and let him know I’d be 20 minutes late. I felt terrible and promised him a free lesson if, by some chance, he didn’t pass. But I was confident—he drove well, and we both expected a good result.
Now, about the girl. She was sweet, but on her first lesson, I could see right away—her driving was rough for someone who already held a licence. Her test was booked for the following week. Honestly, I didn’t think I could get her ready in time. But it’s me we’re talking about—I never give up.
I suggested a two-hour lesson to give us a chance. She agreed, but only for one. Then, just before the lesson, she texted me—she’d be 20 minutes late. That left us with barely 40 minutes together. When she arrived, I saw it in her eyes—something was wrong. Her mind wasn’t there.
We had a chat. I told her I could see she was dealing with something personal that was affecting her focus. I suggested she cancel the test or take a full two-hour lesson the day before, on Sunday. But cancelling meant forfeiting the payment, which was a lot. She didn’t say much, but I offered to give her a two-hour lesson free of charge so she could do the test later. I heard nothing over the weekend, and I worried she might still go ahead without the extra help.
Meanwhile, Monday came and I took the boy to his test. We were both confident—I even told the testing officer he was ready. He returned after 30 minutes looking sure he’d passed. But when the officer started with, “Unfortunately…”, I knew it was bad. Three failed items and a very low score. I was stunned. It was one of the worst results I’d ever seen.
I took him home and told him to book a two-hour lesson. I want to revisit the “scene of the crime” and figure out what went wrong.
It was turning into a rough day. And then—she arrived.
She walked up to me with a big smile. She looked like a completely different person. We started the lesson, and she was calm and focused. A few minor issues, but nothing major. She looked at me and said, “I understand now.” And she really did.
She went in for her test. Thirty minutes later, she came back with a nervous look. We walked up to the counter together. The examiner smiled: “Congratulations, you’ve passed.”
What happened next—I’ll never forget.
She let out a loud scream of joy, crouched to the ground, thanked the examiner, then turned to me and said, “Thank you! Can I give you a hug?”
The emotion in that moment caught me off guard. I can’t explain how I felt. Her score? Almost perfect.
That moment made my whole day, maybe even my whole week. These are the moments that remind me why I still do what I do.
Reflection
The Diary of Parallel Serendipity is full of moments like this—when life surprises us in the most unexpected ways. Yesterday reminded me that at any age, there are still beautiful moments to live for. Even at 78, I’m learning, growing, and feeling things as deeply as ever. That hug meant more than words can say.
📖 The Diary of Parallel Serendipity – coming soon
🌐 thediaryofparallelserendipity.com
