The first concept of a knowledge sharing
story that I can relate to a learning experience is one of personal encounter
and a life choice. In the summer of 1991 I was 16 years old and I had my father
and older brother activated for Operation Desert Storm with the United States
Army. My mother was at time alone as a single parent in essence because my
father wasn’t around and she was raising a 16 year old who knew everything. No matter
how hard my mother attempted to convince that 16 year old that his choices in
life were not very good ones that 16 year old knew it all.
Oh did I mention that the 16 year
olds father was also a Deputy Sheriff and was well respected in the community. One
night that 16 year old again made a decision that he had made many times in the
past thinking he could get away with about anything and decided it was going to
be a great idea to take his mother’s car from the house without a driver’s
license and permission and go for a joy ride.
The 16 year old went and picked his
friends up and his own girlfriend and before he knew it he was living large and
high on life. The trio was riding around in the middle of the night and having
a great time. About 3:30am in the morning the 16 year old know it all realized
it was getting close to time to go home since he knew his mother would be getting
up at 5:30am to go to work. He had to get the car home in time to let it cool
down so he could once again outsmart the parent.
He realized that he needed gas and
decided to pull into the gas station before going home and right in the sights
of a waiting Deputy Sheriff who was parked in the parking lot. In a shear
moment of panic the 16 year old quickly pulled back out of the Parking lot. This
quickly caught the deputy’s attention and the next thing he knew he was
stopped. Now that 16 year old was faced with the crimes of grand theft auto,
and no driver’s license. All that he thought and the familiar words of his
mother came haunting him. He could hear the words “You need to straighten up and
do the right thing before you go to jail”.
That moment in time was a defining moment and changed the life of that
16 year old.
I learned a valuable lesson that night
and discovered that the experience of my elders will always outweigh the
intelligence of a teenager who thinks they know everything about life. I have
since shared my experiences with my own children as a reminder that even if
they think they are right they need to slow down and think about the decisions
they are making.
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