By FRED KRONER
Abby Drinkwater will never forget her 16th birthday.
It is a date that she has anticipated for months.
“A 16th birthday is a big milestone for a teen,” Drinkwater said.
It is a rite of passage, the day that those turning 16 are able to test for their driver’s license.
A sophomore at Blue Ridge, Drinkwater was busy making plans.
“My friends were all looking forward to being able to go places with me, and I was going to go see one of my friends who lives pretty far away,” she said.
“I think getting my license was going to be one of my best birthday presents, and it really did mean a lot because, just like any teen, I want a little bit of freedom.”
Her mom, Teresa Drinkwater, helped with the process. She arranged to have the day off from work in order to accompany her daughter to the DMV.
“I talked to the Driver’s Ed teacher Monday and he had all the paper work ready for me to pick up so we could get her license Wednesday,” Teresa Drinkwater said.
That’s Wednesday, as in yesterday, March 18; as in 24 hours after the DMV announced a shutdown of all of its state facilities through at least March 31.
Talk about bursting a bubble.
“For a lack of better terms, it really sucks,” Abby Drinkwater said. “My parents bought me a car and it’s really disheartening to see it sitting in the driveway knowing I won’t be able to drive it on my own legally for a month.
“I have been trying to absorb myself in other things, but it is really hard considering I don’t really have anything to do since school is closed, and I can’t really go anywhere.”
Until Tuesday, Abby Drinkwater’s major source of anxiety was the driving test itself.
“I was just worried whether I was going to pass the test or not,” she said.
Passing the exam was literally her only concern.
“The anticipation was really good and there wasn’t a thought in my mind that the DMVs would be closed,” she said.
Teresa Drinkwater thought her daughter would be on Easy Street.
“She has been driving everywhere, making sure she has perfected her driving skills,” Teresa Drinkwater said.
Last week’s announcement about the closing of schools throughout the state didn’t plant the seed in Abby Drinkwater’s mind about what was coming.
“Even with school closing, I never had the thought that the DMV’s would be closed,” she said. “It was just one of those things I had been looking forward to for so long, it seemed impossible that I wouldn’t be getting my license.”
The license was going to be the vehicle to other, more lucrative, avenues.
“She was talking about getting a job and all the other places she can drive herself,” Teresa Drinkwater said.
The DMV closures provided a devastating blow.
“I was absolutely crushed,” Abby Drinkwater said. “My mom showed me a news article saying the DMVs were closed and I refused to believe it, until I saw the post on the cyber drive website.
“I was looking forward to my birthday for months, not only getting my license, but also my birthday party at Skateland, which has been mandated by the government to close.”
Without having a firm date as to when she can expect to test for her license, Abby Drinkwater’s frustrations remain high.
“Not only am I not able to get my license on my birthday, but I also won’t even get it this month, and the way it is looking, my birthday party won’t happen for another month either,” she said.
Abby Drinkwater’s actual birthday will be a low-key event that she won’t refer to as a celebration.
“Since almost all places are closed, I asked my mom for a rain check on my birthday,” she said. “From the party to my license, and my birthday dinner, I think it will all be much more enjoyable if I just wait until this whole ordeal is over.”
Her mom is only partially honoring that request. The big bash will indeed be rescheduled, but her family won’t ignore the birthday.
“We ordered her an amazing cake,” Teresa Drinkwater said. “We will cook a meal at home because she doesn’t want to order food in.”
And when the shutdown does end, there will be another detail to consider as Abby Drinkwater prepares to take the driving test.
During the time the DMV is closed, there will be dozens – if not hundreds – of other teens who turned 16 and will also want to legally get behind the wheel at the first available opportunity.
In a perfect world, Teresa Drinkwater said, there would have been a backup alternative.
“I wish they had a plan in place for kids like Abby that we could set it up so she could still go in and take the test and get her license,” Teresa Drinkwater said.
Abby Drinkwater’s 16th birthday will truly be one she will never forget. After all, how many teen-agers are the subject of a feature story that is published the day after their birthday?
