My little corner of the world

If I were you, I’d try to avoid the Belton area for the next few months. The great state of South Carolina has deemed my eldest son fit to get behind the wheel of a two thousand pound hunk of glass, steel, plastic and rubber. That’s right, folks, Matt’s got him a permit.

I took him out driving this past weekend around the church parking lot. That first moment when you turn your keys over to your child, even though you are in the passenger seat, is a terrifying one. Great day in the morning, my kid is driving my car. LEGALLY. What if he jumps the curb and runs through the church? How would I explain that to the preacher?

Yes, he was nervous and had a little problem learning about the sensitivity of the steering wheel and both the gas and brake pedals. Matter of fact, it kinda felt like bumper cars, although he didn’t hit anything. He even managed to pull into a parking place and stay between the lines. Sort of. I would be lying if I said it wasn’t nervewracking. When we finally got home, I told Michael I needed an Excedrin!

Later, I started thinking of all the things he did when he was little. Like the time he jumped off the front porch wearing cowboy boots and a Superman cape, hitting his head on said porch (requiring four stiches). Or the time we went to the literacy thing at the Civic Center one Halloween and they had a haunted hospital that scared the fool out of him and gave him nightmares for a month. Or the time he went to spend the night with Brett, my best friend Renne’s kid, and he snuck out of bed at midnight to gorge himself on Renne’s marshmallow stash and got caught red-handed.

Then I started thinking about all the wonderful things he has accomplished. Earning his Life Scout rank. Working as a counselor for a week at summer camp. Making the honor roll. Working (hard!) at a local farm. Doing laundry and folding clothes - the right way. Making his bed every morning - without being reminded! Knowing what he wants to do in life, and choosing electives at school to achieve that goal.

I think I learned more than he did that day. I’ve realized that the time for me to mold him and teach him is, for the most part, over. His character is what it is, and I am proud of the responsible young man he has become. I’m no longer teaching him right from wrong; I am now preparing him for a life on his own.

It was so much easier teaching him to walk and talk.