I went to target the other night. I didn’t really want to go
but I had a few items that I simply had to cross off the “to do” list. It was
late. Ok, late by my current standards. 9:30pm. (Yes, I do know that my college
self would be appalled by this statement. That was when we used to head out for
the night. ) I’d been with my kids all day and then rushed out to the door to
tutor immediately after they hit the sack. I enjoy the tutoring and wouldn’t
stop, but it does make for a long day.
As I headed out the door, close to 10pm, my feet were
dragging and I started dreaming about my pillow. A tiny, silent complaint began
to rise, begrudging the fact that I had to shop so LATE. And then I reached my
car and I saw them. Or rather, I heard them.
Parked diagonally across from my car, facing me, was a car full
of teenagers. A soft top jeep with music blasting. Windows wide open. I didn’t’ recognize the song (yeah… big shock
there) and I couldn’t make out the words (even bigger shock…) but I did catch a
few words of the main chorus.
“Parking lot party!”
The kids were talking, dancing and singing along. They were
having a great time. Totally beyond my control, I started to smile. Smile huge.
That was me, once upon a time. That was totally me.
My friends and I always played our music too loud. We
laughed a little too joyously in public places and we rarely cared what those “old
folks” thought of us. We had the right to be happy in our lives, just as we
were.
These kids weren’t drunk, or at least they showed no signs
of being. They gave no indications that they planned to vandalize anything. I
heard no profanity. They were simply being kids. Living large.
One of the girls in the backseat of the jeep noticed me and
smiled, waved. She quickly and easily assessed that my observation of her group
was nonjudgmental. The driver, a boy, thought I had said something and turned
the music down low. He called out the window with a friendly and respectful
smile. “Hi. Did you just say something?”
I smiled back and responded, laughing. “No, but I was just
watching you guys. I used to do that and when I realized how long ago it was I
started to feel old”. The kids all laughed and the boy looks straight at me,
still smiling. “You should do it more often, then!” And he turned the music
back up, recommenced singing. When I pulled out of the parking lot a minute or
so later, the kids all waved to me. I waved back.
He’s right. I should do that more often. Ok, maybe not THAT,
but something that has nothing to do with my life as a mom of two young kids
and co-owner of a time and money consuming house. Something that has nothing to
do with laundry and food shopping. I
should dance more, simply because I like the music I hear. I should go out for
drinks more often and “hang out” with my friends when we are banned from
talking about anything child related.
Amazing what you can learn from a teenager.
