Life (1)

My mom made me promise her at least three times that I would drive safely. Each time I promised I got progressively more annoyed. She had reason to be concerned. I had just turned 16 a few months before. I was inexperienced and naïve. She had given into my begging and decided to let me drive her car, the only family car, to an out of town high school football game.

I only remember parts of the drive to the game. The person I was following had no regard for the speed limit – going 20 mph over on a two lane highway. They passed many cars and I spent much of the time nervous I would lose them or lose control of the car. Somehow we managed to make it there safely. I had never been so excited to see a football field as I was that night.

I don’t remember if my school won that game. In fact, I doubt I spent much time watching it. I had developed a crush on a boy that was two years older. He worked at the local grocery store and had many conversations with my friend, whose boyfriend was friends with him. I spent a lot of the game trying to get near him – not that I was going to say anything to him. I was horribly shy. My friends arranged for him to be are lead guy on the way home. That was the closest I would come to him.

As we left that night, I followed him. He went the speed limit or a little over, he used his turn signals and he passed only when he needed to. I was comfortable and confident when I passed a truck on our way back home. As I was returning to my lane, I managed to hit a patch of loose gravel and lose control of the vehicle. As the car began doing circles, sparks were flying as the wheel rim grinded against the pavement. All of a sudden the vehicle stopped perpendicular to the road. The truck I had passed was now quickly approaching. I was certain we were going to be t-boned. Just then, the car jerked backwards and parked itself in a steep ditch. (To this day it still doesn’t make sense) We were all safe, but the car had taken on some damage. Two tires were shot and the frame of the vehicle was tweaked.

As we exited the car, I realized two things: 1. My mom was right in being concerned and 2. I had managed to grab my crush’s attention (I later scored a double-date and a date to the high school dance). Once my crush made his way back to us and lent me his cell phone, I made the dreaded call. I assured mom I was okay, but couldn’t promise the same for her car. During the 40 minute ride home, mom had an unfortunate realization of her own. The phrase (pardon my French) “Scared Shitless” holds truth.