Unnecessary worries ...

Marlene Terry

I've been thinking about unnecessary worries lately. 
You know. All those things that crop up during life that we lose sleep over, really can't do anything about and end up laughing at later.

With that said I can recall everything in detail, even though it's been years.

Our oldest daughter had finally earned her driver's license and after some cajoling and a little pouting she'd convinced her dad it was time that we allow her to take the car to town by herself.

Worried about it all night (me not her) and thought of every "what if" you can imagine. ... Think I even prayed for snow and slick roads in order to put off her solo journey. But probably because she and I both needed the experience, plus the fact that it was mid-summer, the day dawned bright, clear and ice-free.

Didn't take her long to bid us goodbye, promise that she would be careful and move on to the garage, car keys in hand and an ear-to-ear smile.

I mean she was finally free of the restrictions and parental control that in her teenage mind had kept her "in a box" ... and might I add kept her safe and sound, too.

In a moment I heard the sound of the garage door opening and watched as she made a perfect exit and was soon headed down the long driveway at our hilltop home.  ... Just enough time for her to get far enough away so she wouldn't notice her mother standing on the front porch with a pair of high-powered binoculars watching her every move.

The problem with those binoculars was all that high power not only magnified the image, it also magnified the MOVEMENT of the image. ... Probably the reason, as I watched her approach the first stop sign on the route, it appeared that she was traveling about the speed of light.

Also the reason I think, that I spontaneously yelled at the top of my voice "STOP DAMMIT!" 

  

I still can't believe that the yell happened in perfect synchronization with the arrival of my Avon lady whose startled, REALLY LARGE EYE, suddenly appeared in my field of view!

I'm sure you'll be glad to know that everything turned out all right. I apologized to the Avon lady for my uncontrolled outburst. And after a few hours my daughter returned home safely.

... Just one of those things that crop up during life that we lose sleep over, really can't do anything about and end up laughing at later!

♦ Hope you'll let me share your stories and photos here at my new residence "In a Nutshell." Email me at nutshellstories@gmail.com.