Heather’s Blog
Rites of passages.
We all go through them. Learning to crawl, taking your first step, leaving mom’s grasp as you walk into school or taking the training wheels off.
So many firsts.
We know now that growth requires challenges. Ready or not. Here I come.
I couldn’t wait to turn 16 (Ontario raised girl) and take my drivers license. The sense of freedom was empowering. The lack of a vehicle was somewhat debilitating however. But from the moment, I learned to drive, I knew the world was my oyster.
Scott likes to tell me that he was driving on the farm at like 11. He says this because he may be slightly younger then I. Don’t ask. It’s rude.
“If you only harrowed what I plowed” is his most favorite expression.
I have no idea what that means. If it isn’t clear to you already, I don’t do snow and am not much for farming. (It’s a farming reference right?)
You would think Ryan would be similar in his quest for freedom.
And you would be wrong.
The week before Ryan turned 15 I said to him, in no uncertain terms, “ You have one week to get your learners.” He wanted to go with his best friend Ryan G. to Banff, snowboarding. However, he stubbornly dug his heels in going to write his test.
By putting conditions on his trip, I was clearly outsmarting him.
You are starting to think like him, aren’t you?
He got it. And then refused to drive. His 16th birthday passed him by with no desire to get his drivers license. He didn’t ask to practice and avoided the car at all costs.
“So you are okay with your girlfriend driving you everywhere “, I said in my pitiful attempt to parentally embarrass him.
His response was the shrug of the shoulders and a “ Yep”.
Finally, at age 18 years and 5 months, Ryan went to Drivers Training. Having absolutely no experience at all, the instructor told him after 3 lessons, he was good to go.
One week later, he took his test and passed.
And took his sisters to Burger King in the city.
By the next month he had bought my parent’s van. The “Shaggin wagon” 🙄
This past September, he went with his father to purchase his first “newer” car.
He was so proud. He loved his car. He left for Sun Peaks in his car. And here it remains.
Perhaps freedom takes time but once gotten is hard to give up.
All rites of passages are a bit messy, and full of struggles. In the end though, you soar like the wind never held you back.
Oh my love, continue to soar.