Teenaged Drivers

**My meals are boring. I'm still writing everything down but I've decided to do a summary for the week on weigh-in day. You're welcome**





I remember when I was a teenaged driver. I asked my mother if I could borrow her car one night so I could go out with my friends. I think I was picking up Pam and Charlotte, I can’t really remember at this point. Back in those days, we went to clubs. The club that were going to that night was called Rhana Pippins. It had these huge ceramic frogs inside and fountains. Not really sure what the frogs were about but we loved that place. The drinking age was 18 and even though we weren’t 18 the club management was very relaxed on the whole “checking for ID” thing. Anyway, I picked up my girls and we were on our way out when we saw my older brother. He flagged me down, asked where we were going and asked me to take him home so he could change his clothes and have me drop him off to wherever he was going. Of course, I agreed. I backed up my mom’s car and promptly hit a fire hydrant. Very little damage, but the point is … I hit the hydrant and damaged my mother’s car. I was bringing my brother back to the house and I had a choice to make. Do I tell her now that I hit the hydrant or do I wait until after we get back from the club? I brought my brother back home and kept my mouth shut about the car. Then me and my girls went out and had a good time. Afterward, I came home and my mother was waiting up for me. When I walked in the door, I told her that a fire hydrant came out from nowhere and hit her car! She failed to see the humor. She asked if anyone was hurt, came out and looked at the car and then went to bed. No lecture. No yelling. No nothing.

I remembered this story last night as my daughter was backing out of the driveway to go pick up one of her friends to go to the movies.

She came home on time and she and the car were all in one piece.

Valentine's Day

When I was sixteen years old I gave my boyfriend at the time a pair of silk boxer shorts with hearts on them for Valentine's Day. I remember my girlfriend and I going shopping together and picking them out and thinking what a great idea it would be to give our boyfriends silk boxer shorts for Valentine's Day.

What an idiot.

If either of my teenaged children bought underwear for their boyfriend/girlfriend I would find that wildly inappropriate. I've officially turned into my mother.

I'm thinking about this weekend and I'm wondering what my guy has planned. If anything. He's working on Friday and I really don't want to be one of the many people waiting in line for a table on Saturday. I'm not going to be corny and say that with him everyday is Valentine's Day, because it's not. But we do go out together often, and we are beyond the stage of having to impress one another or anyone else. I'd rather avoid the crowd and maybe make him a nice dinner at home. Or maybe we can do a Valentine's lunch at my favorite restaurant. That's a thought.

Last year I went on an "alcohol fast" for the entire month of March and I'm thinking about doing it again this year. By the way, the wine tasting on Friday was a success. More misses than hits and I did remember to taste and not drink everything that was put in front of me. It was a good night.

I'm having issues with my girl-child and I can't help but wonder if this is karma rearing its ugly head. I was not a model teenager but the difference between me and my daughter is that I never got caught. I made sure that I did whatever I wanted to do within the confines of my mother's rules. I never came in the house late but I handled my business while I was out there. My child is either really dumb or she just doesn't give a damn. Either way, if she keeps this up the next three years are going to be very difficult ... for her.

Pray for her.

Manic Monday

I was supposed to leave for a 3-day business trip today. But I had to cancel it at the last minute because of developments in my household that need my immediate attention. No one is dead or in jail but let's just say it really sucks when you discover that you can't trust the people that you live with.

Teenagers suck.

Juno

I saw Juno over the holidays and I really enjoyed it. I thought it was funny and smart. But it left me feeling a little conflicted. The story is about a 16-year old girl who has sex with a boy that is not really her boyfriend and she gets pregnant. I went to see a movie about teenaged pregnancy with my teenaged daughter. Since it's a movie everybody lived happily ever after, of course we know in the real world of teenaged pregnancy there is no happily ever after.

Or is there?

On the way home from the movie my daughter asked me how old grandma was when she had me. "Twenty-six". Then she asked how old I was when I had her. "Thirty".

What the heck is she asking me all these questions for?

There was a scene in the movie where Juno's father and step-mother are having a conversation about Juno's situation and they said that they would prefer her to be expelled from school or on hard drugs as opposed to being pregnant at 16. I have mixed feelings. Actually, I don't have mixed feelings. I don't want my daughter getting pregnant if she's not equipped to handle the situation. This is why the movie left me feeling conflicted ... because I loved this movie but they portrayed Juno as someone who was equipped to handle the situation. I'm not buying it. Being a teenager is hard enough without throwing a baby into the mix. Juno decided that the best thing to do for all concerned would be to put the baby up for adoption. That I agree with. But how many times have you seen a young Black girl make that choice? Why do we feel this obligation to birth and raise a child that we are not ready to birth and raise? I'm just saying, I've come across many young girls who found themselves in that situation and it was as if they weren't aware of their options. They assumed their fate was sealed. Why are kids so determined to do things the hard way? I've told both my teenagers that there is an easy way to do things and there is a hard way. Be smart, stay focused and choose the easy way.

I'm rambling now and I know it so I'm going to cut this short. It was a good movie and if you haven't seen it you should see it.


With love,
chele