Thursday, March 31, 2005

Fear Paralyzes Me

Dillon got his license during Spring Break.

After his first day back to school, he walked into the house and promptly announced, "Stephanie and I want Starbucks." In teen lingo this means, "I want to drive somewhere."

I wanted to say no.

I wanted to SCREAM, "NOOOOOOOO!!! You're a baby! You can't take that device of death out onto those roads where you are inexperienced and just last week a kid caused a horrible accident then died while drag racing in the afternoon! What if you don't come home? What if a policeman comes knocking at my door? I will shrivel up and die without you. I need to keep you here with me where you are safe and I can protect you from danger and evil and tragic accidents that fill up the evening news!"

What I did was throw the extra key at him and say, "Sure. Just be careful and look both ways even if your light is green."

Then, paralyzed, I sat on the couch and kept one eye out the window while I fought back the tears that Mackenzie didn't need to see.

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