The Driver's Seat

And she's off!

While I don’t actually remember my 16^th birthday, I certainly remember anticipating it. And believe it or not… it seems I have a similar level of excitement about my own daughter’s upcoming sweet event which happens TODAY. A milestone. Today, assuming no hiccups, the state of Iowa will let her loose to navigate the by-ways and highways. Should I feel nervous about her propensity to become lost, even in a town, such as Harlan, where she has schooled and leisured nearly her entire life?

Well, let me think.

The girl has proven her academic smarts. I won’t bore you with the details, because it would be over-the-top boasting–as we parents are prone to do. But she is a smarty-pants. So, it's slightly amusing, yet alarming, the girl is sooooo directionally-challenged. (And I really mean that in a literal-sense. She does appear to have life goals and all.) But it wasn’t but a few years ago, she was directed to walk her 'lil brother home from my bank to her grandparents (a fairly straightforward track of fifteen blocks with a few minor jogs). Apparently, without the coaching of her nine-year old bro, they would've made a circuitous trip back to the bank. And one of her most recent stints involved her and her gal-pals finding themselves on their way to Sioux City, instead of Omaha (destination:Westroads). Thanks God they eventually found the mall though. I'm not sure what she would've done without more skull t-shirts from Hot Topic. She hardly has enough of them and they are so adorable. Her mother loves them so.

Actually, I can't say much. I'm a bit directionally-challenged myself. When I worked in Omaha as a young adult, I pretty much memorized the map of Omaha so I knew how to get around the city. (No such thing as Google Maps you know. Just an impossibly large, clumsy document that we romantics still like to use.) Luckily, I found my way to important places like...Target (for stuff not like skull t-shirts). My husband couldn't figure out how I could navigate Omaha, but not have the ability to point to north. Well, north is overrated. I just need to know what I need to know. And I think Alex has inherited my sense of direction. So, if that's the case, I guess I have nothing to worry about, right? She seems to be on the scent of some pretty decent shopping trails. Even if she gets off the beaten track, she'll find her way. And ff there's one thing that's for certain about Alex, it's this: she's determined!

Happy Sweet 16th to my pretty girl! Wherever you find yourself...make sure it's in a place with good cell phone coverage.