I hear it's not if but when . . . Teenage Auto Mishaps

When I was 16 I totaled the family Volare Station Wagon. It was awful! I loved that brown station wagon. Penney and I, upside down in a ditch. Scary. Thank God we survived. Thanks to Facebook, Penney and I were reunited several years ago. We met up for lunch and she showed me her bent finger from that accident in 1983!. Wow!

As a parent of new drivers, I was going to prevent my kids from accidents. If I just "coached" them enough, signed them up for Driver's Ed, winced or gasped enough, they would get it. My son had a physics partner who was telling me about some of his accidents. He said, "Mrs. Perry, it's not a matter of IF your kid will get in an accident, it's a matter of WHEN they will get in an accident." I smiled and nodded my head.

I've now survived three teenage wrecks as a parent. The first one involved a brick wall. The second involved an elevated curb. This latest one, involved another car and it wasn't pretty. I sure hope and pray this latest wreck will be the worst.

It was Saturday morning. My husband was out of town. I asked my older son Galen, to take Ben to his lacrosse game and later we'd go watch the game. Having my son drive has been a huge help, especially now that I'm disabled. Then, I got the dreaded call. "Mom, I've been hit, I'm okay but I'm really scared. It was bad. It wasn't my fault." All of a sudden I turned into my mother and I'm screaming "Oh my God, Oh my God!" Calm down. Ask where he is. "Okay, where are you?" "I'll be right there."

I drove with such adrenalin, I was lucky I didn't get in an accident. I pulled up to the intersection and I could see police cars, ambulances, and firetrucks every where. The traffic was backing up. Where should I go? I pulled up on the curb. No, that wouldn't work. I beeped my horn once as I shouted "that's my son, that's my son!" I parked behind a police car and asked where to go. He said not there. He pointed me to a subdivision entrance close by but I told him "that's too far, I'm disabled." He then told me to park in front of the firetruck. I passed my son who was sitting on the curb quivering.

I limped over as quickly as possible to comfort my son and to assess the situation. There was a nice man who witnessed the entire thing and was there helping and guiding Galen. His truck was parked right next to us. I could see that he was an ex-marine. He became our angel ex-marine that day.

It was bad! All the airbags deployed. Clearly there were more angels protecting him then the ex-angel marine that day. I hugged my big tough kid who was so scared. As I limped around cleaning out the car, the EMTs asked if I was in the accident. I said "no, I limp. I just limp."

I glanced over at the woman who hit my son. I prayed she was okay but I couldn't leave Galen. I trusted that the police were handling everything. They had the place cleaned up in no time. I was impressed how the emergency personnel handled everything so efficiently and how they helped keep everyone calm and safe.

I had Galen checked out. He was a little bruised up but we're thankful, oh so thankful. It could have been worse!

A major accident seems to trigger everyone's major accident stories. My son has heard a bunch of them now (including mine). We never forget our first major wreck! Guess we never forget our kids' major wrecks either.

My two eldest have hopefully met their quota for accidents. My youngest turned 13 today. Maybe I can prevent him from having a wreck someday! (Um, yeah, I'm not holding my breath.)

I'm a parent of three teens! Happy Birthday Ben!

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Claim Your Day of Rest

             I escape my computer screen with moments of rest as I gaze out the window.


Yesterday was Labor Day and I needed to claim my day of rest, but it didn't come willingly. Outside influences battled to pull me away. I'm sure you've been there.

Kid: We should order a pizza.
Me: Dad just went shopping. We have tons of food and frozen pizzas in the freezer.

Kid: We should go to Rita's for an Italian ice. 
Me: Mhm.

Kid: We should go to Target.
Me: There are tornado watches and warnings all over Georgia. It's not safe.

Kid: I'm bored.
Me: Isn't it great to be bored for a change. We need to be bored more often.

Kid: We should go out and celebrate because it's Labor Day.
Me: We celebrated at the lake on Saturday. Today is our rest day.

Email: You should check me because this inbox will become unmanageable and it will take you forever to catch up.
Me: Okay, I'll give in but I think I need a break from you too.

Committees: You should address those pending issues because you have a little extra time.
Me: Okay, maybe I should. No! I need rest. Maybe just a little.

Laundry: Look at me piling up. Your husband needs clean underwear.
Me: Okay, I guess laundry qualifies as rest. Kind of.

Book: Read me! I must be read by Thursday! Don't forget to underline the important things.
Me: Okay. I can settle down enough to read. I like that. That feels like rest.

TV: Storms everywhere. Floods are coming. 24/7 coverage.
Me: It's nice to have an excuse to stay home. I hope we don't have to go to the basement. Should I gather flashlights? The TV is making me nervous. I wonder if I should take a shower in case the storm hits. I wouldn't want someone to find me with dirty hair.

Facebook: What's everyone doing? How are they faring in the storms? You might be missing something!
Me: Okay, I'll submit. It's kind of resting as I sit glaring at the computer. I break to look out the windows at the trees. That's restful.
  
iphone: Don't forget me. I'm going to follow you around in case you get an important text or tweet.
Me: Maybe I will leave you on the charger for a while. You need some rest too.

Pain: Ah-ha! A little rest day won't deter me. I like when you slow down so I can shout "I'm still here!"
Me: Damn you pain! I'll show you. I'm going to eat a cookie and later some ice cream.
Pain: Okay, I like that. It makes me come on a little stronger.
Me: Um, okay. I get your point. But that cookie tasted really good!

Kid: Tomorrow is a Senior Skip Day. About half are participating and half are not.
Me: Um, I think I will go with the half who are not. It's too soon in the school year and we just had a long weekend.
Kid: Scowl and grunt while stumping off.
Me: It's hard being the bad guy. I can feel my anxiety level rising. Be strong. Hold your ground.

Somehow, with all these diversions and challenges, it still felt like a day of rest. I didn't go anywhere. I didn't buy anything. I took care of a few things. I escaped a little here and there.

Does this sound familiar? Contrary to popular belief, we all need rest. We need to re-charge our batteries. Maybe you've evolved to a day of rest that doesn't involve conflict, anxiety, or challenges.   Sometimes it's a stretch, like zoning out while folding laundry. For now, I will take it where I can get it!

Find some rest today.