Kids not always where they say they are It’s hard to put all the words together to describe the feeling you get when the phone rings you out of deep sleep at 5 in the morning. Calls that come then are never good news, and this one didn’t disappoint that predilection.

“Hey, Mom… can I talk to you a minute…?”

“Huh, what? Sure, son. What’s up?”

Now fully awake, I realize this isn’t going to be a “normal” phone call with my teen-aged son (if such a thing really exists).

“Mom, I got a ticket last night.”

“Okay…what kind of ticket? Did you run a stop sign? Were you speeding?”

“Um… no. I got ticketed for being in possession of alcohol at a party I was at.”

Long. Painful. Pause.

“I thought you were staying over at your friend Michael’s house?”

“Well, I was. And then we decided to go to this party, and…”

“You got drunk. And a ticket, too.”

“Yeah.”

“Come home now…and, I mean right now.”

“Okay Mom.”

So, now, my son and I are going to attend an “intervention class,” co-opted by the City of Phoenix and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. I can’t wait. No, really—I can’t. Because I’m guilty of something here, too. I may think I have been doing the right things in this area…but have I really? I can cite one or two instances where we’ve had a mother and son talk about the dangers of drinking, not to mention drinking and driving. But, have I followed up like I should?

No. Not really.

I’ve been taking his word, at face value, that he is where he says he is. Or that he’s going where he says he’s going. Hey, he’s always been a great kid, totally dependable, right?

Well, no, not exactly. He’s a kid. There have been plenty of times he’s acted like one, especially since he became so worldly-wise at the age of 16. Maybe I’ve forgotten that my duties as a parent are a bit different from those I face at work. At work, people are paid to be responsible. If they’re not, there are consequences.

Like this one.

My next entry will talk about the class we are going to…stay tuned.

--Jane, Phoenix