Thank You for all the birthday wishes. Since I was telling everyone that I feel like I am still sixteen it got me thinking about my sixteenth birthday.
On the morning of my sixteenth birthday I woke with one clear thought. FREEDOM! Today was the day the day, the big 16, today everything that had been a big fat no became a big fat yes.
Boys... YES! YES! YES!
Driving... YES! YES! YES! YES!
Who needed the 4th of July I had the 13th of July. My very own independence day! Yup, let Freedom ring People I was officially 16!
Of course there were a few details that had to be worked out and the very first thing on my list of things to do for the day was pass the driving portion of my driving test.
Easy Cheesy!
In excitement, that only a new 16 year old on the verge of getting her drivers license can feel, I raced down the stairs to wake my mom up and get going to my test. The last time I would have to depend on her to get me anywhere. As I raced down the stairs it was my habit to jump pass the bottom 4 stairs. Which I did! Landing in one big splash.
What?
Water!
There shouldn't be water on the basement floor. Quick as rabbit before my mom could even know that anything was wrong I ran to the bathroom to grab a towel. Where it became increasingly obvious to me that the water was not going to be soaked up by a towel. Especially given the fact that each step I took had a definite splish splash noise.
With a great big frown on my face I now went to find my mom to let her know the basement seemed to have flooded. Splish splashing into her room I couldn't help but have the feeling this was not going to be the kind of day I had in mind.
You have to give my mom some major points for her amazing ability to handle anything. After waking, assessing the situation and finding that the source of the flood was a hose left in a window wail by a brother, she quickly ceased the flood. Amazingly not killing a single soul in the process. Then she raced her newly 16 year old daughter out the door for a driving test.
I would like to tell you that I passed that test and the rest of my day was spent in celebration of the greatest day of my life. However, I soundly flunked that driving test and spent a good portion of the day moping.
To this day I remember four things about my 16th birthday. One, the feeling of splashing down into that carpet. Two, flunking my driving test. Three, standing in the backyard now filled with carpet padding that had been removed so that the carpet could be lifted and dried. Four, thinking that this birthday so could have been worse.
Looking back now I realize another thing about that day.
I had a very memorable 16th birthday.
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