Take the first right and keep on goin'!

Last week I went to a parents meeting for incoming freshmen. My daughter will be one of those incoming...(look out!!! INCOMING!!!!) and I'm not quite sure I'm ready...(wait...who's the incoming one again???)

So that's what the meeting was about. To help parents get ready. Specifically, it was about helping the freshmen-to-be work out their class schedules for the fall. The guidance counselors were there...available for questions...and to provide updated info on some things.

Like drivers education.

Because of law changes in Illinois, kids have to have nine months with a permit. That means that the classes themselves have to be 'backed up' to allow that time...so there are freshmen taking drivers ed now. Hurrah.

It'll be okay, Carrie.

Yeah, I know. I was just a little freaked out there for a second. Freshmen. Drivers Ed.

Whoa.......(shakes it off)

Sorry, talking to myself a little. It happens sometimes when I'm afraid I'm not listening.

Anywhoo.....

I remember something that happened early in my own driving career. I hadn't had my license for very long...and my sister and her friend wanted to go to Market Place Mall. So the three of us piled into my Mom's Plymouth Horizon...(stop sniggering!) and down the interstate we went.

(We're off to see the Mall....the wonderful Market Place Mall...we hear it is...a heck of a biz...if ever a biz at all...)

(Don't even ask. I have no idea where that just came from. I would like to take this moment to clarify that we were most likely singing along to Boy George and Culture Club...NOT making up our own words to the Wizard of Oz...but that's not much consolation, is it??)

Okay...so we get to the Mall...and (I'll tumble 4 ya...I'll tumble for you! ahem...sorry!) and I park outside of Bergner's. Now there are three potential entrances to Bergner's at the Mall (if my memory is serving me correctly...which...given the way the blog sounds so far...well, don't take my word for it!). We park the Horizon...lock it up...(snort...like there was a chance someone would steal it???!!) and head inside.

Long story short...

we power window shop...stop by Baskin-Robbins...get a cone...stop by Spencer's Gifts to check out the cool posters in the back....sigh...(all out of Bruce THE BOSS Springsteen AGAIN!)...and head past Camelot Music and listen to more Boy George....(okay...no...we didn't do that. Well, I'm pretty sure we stopped by Camelot's...but we didn't listen to Boy George....at least I didn't. I'm not going to speak for my sister. Or Wendy...her friend. Altho I will say that Wendy was a prime candidate for some Boy George music...but I digress!)

So...we get ready to leave said Mall...and walk out of Bergner's...happy go lucky teens that we are. (er...were.)

And head for the Horizon.

Which...isn't...where...I...parked....it.

Hm.

Huh.

Wow.

Well...um...hm.

That went on for about ten minutes...and then panic set in. "THE CAR'S BEEN STOLEN! AUGH! WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO???!!! STUPID MALL!!! DO YOU REALLY WANT TO MAKE ME CRY????"

(can't. stop. Culture. Club. help!)

Someone...I'm going to give the credit here to Wendy...altho I'm not sure it actually belongs to her...but I KNOW I wasn't the 'voice of reason' at that moment....said,

"Hey...when we went in...we went past the women's section. But didn't we come out past the shoes or something?"

We blink. We look at each other. We turn and look at the door. We head back inside and sure enough...we had exited the building out of a different door...and....as parking lots look all the same...really...we thought we were in the right place...but we weren't.

Out the correct door we go...and there is the Plymouth. Waiting for us. Safe and sound.

I felt very foolish. And we all pinky swore never to tell anyone about it.

Um.......

Hm.

Well.

Wow.

I...um....I just blew that. Yeah...yeah I did. So...could you keep that story to yourself? Thanks.

Recently I offered to give someone directions to my church...(in the church of the poison my hi hind....in the church of the...no! Not that church!! augh! I cannot get Boy George out of my head now!!!!)

and their response to my offer was, "My car's got GPS. I think I can find it just fine. Thanks."

And my response was, "You've got GPS in your Plymouth Horizon? Really?"

(no...snort...that wasn't my response! What is my problem today??)

Perhaps the days of asking folks for directions are gone now...but we still need to know where we're headed, don't we? We still need someone/something to help us find our way to our destination. Whether we're freshmen looking for our Biology 1 class at a new school...or teens at the mall...wandering in the parking lot and crying their eyes out afraid of the wrath of their mom for letting the Horizon get stolen or...ahem...or just driving somewhere...we could all use a little assistance from time to time.

My friends...it's easy to think that you're on the right track...when you're actually exiting by the shoe department and going out the wrong door. It doesn't take much of a wrong turn to get you into trouble. So ask for help. Seek some guidance. Ask for directions. You know...for when you 'come and go'...

(you come and go.....oh...oh....Karma Karma....OKAY! That's it! Enough! I'm putting on my headphones and listening to something else on my new MP3 player...um...could somebody read the directions for me? I don't know Japanese...sigh...where's a teen when you need them??)