The problem was..............

One day I was going to go to a neighbors house to play scrabble. I was 17 and and excellent with words (go figure) so this sounded fun.

The problem was........

*****Anytime you start a sentence like that something shocking always happens*****

You wanna hear about it?? Of course you do here I go:

Earlier that week a boy moved in around four houses down from my Scrabble friends. He had dark eyes, a devilish smile and the tightest of assess--------ment scores (gotchya!! He had a nice ass too).. He was a Bad boy, and I hearted me some Bad boy!!!

He was not afraid to tell you what he was thinking and NOT afraid of authority. I stalked him everyday from behind a coke machine (no, I am not proud of that now, but then it seemed par for the course). I watched him making friends with the very metal heads I stalked before he came. He would fit into my obsession well. Now let me tell you,,,,, I TRIED to be a Bad girl, really I did,, but I just didn't have the freedom to do so (but, I did get away with bringing a tumbler full of wine with a splash of OJ on the bus everyday,, never buy boxed wine with teens in the house, thankfully monitoring amounts is difficult with a box,, giggle,, sorry for the diversion,,slapping head).

The problem was.........

My brother was always watching me. And even though HE was a Bad ass,, I was always the Bad ass's dorky little sister. I could never swing my own identity (...But I did steal an AC/DC t-shirt from a friend to wear it UNDER my sweet lacy shirts to reveal as I was able,,,, I also had pink lip gloss that I used as eyeshadow, blush AND gloss....ooooooh.....scandalous!!!...Warning kids: do not try this at home,,, you are walking flypaper...diversion queens RULE!!!).

So on this scrabble day,,, guess who was outside??? And guess who was glossed?? And guess who asked who inside to talk???

Bad boy+me+inside to talk=Bad girl??? (no, it didn't,, sigh)

When we got to his room he looked like he was glowing and I was the moth attracted to that light. But he was nice and gentlemanly and not so bad and I think I kinda liked that,, A LOT!!

The problem was.........

He took his shoes off and his socks didn't fit (they made his feet look like the Michelin man) and there was a sock funk (who knew proper sock fittage and funkage would effect me so negatively,, shrugs shoulders). And then his mom started yelling at him and his glow left.

We decided to steal out of there and go to the park. It was dark by this time and I was glad that when my Bad boy put his shoes back on, he came back from nasty sock land to me. So we ran off to the park.

While scurrying to a picnic table, I was nervously awaiting his actions. He straddled the bench and I followed suit. This would be my first really really grown-up kiss. Our lips brushed and I felt his.............uh wait....

The problem was.........

.............SPOTLIGHT.............................................................

You see my brother had alerted my dad to my rendezvous with Bad boy......And my dad had a 280ZX in these days (yes, this is still one of the nicest looking Bad assy-ist cars around, but the headlights on a 280ZX at night----freaking------UNMISTAKABLE!!!).

And that my friends was our spotlight!!!

This is not my dad's car but it IS exactly the make and model and color.....divine ain't it????
(not when it's busting ya!!)

My heart sunk. I had never outright defied my father like this. Bad boy ran away stammering as I slowly chartered my way to the car (dead teen walking,,,, dead teen walking)...

It took one look.. It took one second... And I knew,,,,, the look on his face was a look I never wanted to see again.

That was a pivotal moment in my life. There was no yelling. I just wept out of total respect for him and his feelings.

AND

I got "it".

What his worry was about.

How much he loved me.

Why my ideas sometimes weren't the sharpest tools in the shed to pick.

I'm not saying that I never did anything wrong again (goodness sakes people,, it's me). But I AM saying there was always a bit more thought behind how it would effect others,,, especially my family.

I still live by that today.

The problem is.......

I wish more people did. People treat each other like crap. It's not just about you! Your actions, words and legacy will effect all around you. You have people looking up to you that you don't even know about. You say things that they carry with them much longer than just the two seconds it took for you to spit them out. Someone may be trying to emulate you right now (if you have kids, this is a given).

If your life was a movie, would you be proud to rewind it and play it again?

Would you be proud of the way you treat the people around you?

Do you tell people they are a priority when they are just another option to you?

Think before you speak and plan before you act.

How will this make ________ feel?

That sentence, if used in everyday life, will change everything you say or do for the better.

Don't make me give you "that look"!!!!

Not valid in Hawaii. Get your parents permission before going online. Must be 18 or older to order. Yes,, I am crazy....but you love me....right?? You do don't ya??? Come on, really.....tell me...I'm needy......