It is Lent and last night was Friday. Normally, my husband and I take the girls and go to the nearby Catholic Church (St. Francis de Sales) and we sit with friends and have a good conversation and enjoy the meal. It is also a good deal. There isn't any place where you can get a full fish meal for $40 for a family of 5. My girls groan about going, but they do enjoy some of the meal. Last night, though, we had to be in Centerville by 6 p.m. and it would have taken more than 30 minutes to get through the line and to eat. Also, my husband had to be at work by 6 p.m. and had to leave by 4:30 p.m., so we could not go.
My oldest girls are in the Teen Advisory Board (TAB) at the Washington-Centerville Library. Last night, they were able to participate in a TAB only Lock In. A lock-in at the library is where they get to play games and have a meal with their friends. They get to watch a movie ("Monty Python's Holy Grail" was the choice) and stay for 6 hours after closing. The girls were in heaven! For me, that meant, Nicole and I got 6 hours alone. We watched a movie that she wanted to watch. We went through my yarn stash and she picked out many skeins of yarn. She says she is going to make an afghan for herself, but making squares. We sorted the yarn (again) and made popcorn. We had an ice cream and just had a nice evening together.
When it was time to go get the older girls from their event, I noticed how much traffic was on the road. I know that since I married and became a mother, that I have become more of a home body at night. Daytime, I will be out and about enjoying the day, but at night, I want to be in the house and enjoying a book or yarn or cross stitching. Part of that has to do with deer on the side of the road, that can cross at any moment. Last night, we had just that, a herd of deer on the side of the road. It was a pretty large herd. It startled me and I know it startled the drivers on the other side (the deer were on that side).
As I was driving along, I remembered that there had been a time where I would be out until midnight or later. I used to have a life at night and would hang out with my friends. I know that I will have to work at making sure that I start going out at night again and having a life at night. I didn't drink and drive and I certainly didn't need to drink alcohol when I was out. I would just be with friends and enjoying life. I guess when you are young and don't have children or a husband, you do spend more time out at night, because you are working full time and are at an office or job all day and you would hang out at night and have a night life. Also, when you are a teen, you have that set time where you have to be home. Most parents set that at 10 or 11 or midnight. I know my curfew was midnight when I was in high school, but then I had passed "the test" and my parents trusted me to not get into trouble. They also liked the person I would hang out with.
What is "the test?" When I was a freshman in high school, some girl at the school I went to, tried to get me to do drugs with her and buy from her. When I refused, she started causing me trouble. I turned her in at school and she turned me in. The officials started watching us both and my lockers were searched nightly. The school officials never found drugs in my locker, but they did find it in hers and she was expelled. So were 2 other girls, also for drugs and bad grades. I think more should have been done for them, but at the same time, I was so grateful that my parents learned that I would not get drunk or high when I was out of their sight.
I know that my girls are going to start wanting to go out at night more as they get older and that is all part of growing up. I think it will be good for them to have things to do and friends to hang out with. I am pretty sure that they won't try drugs, but today's world, they will have to be careful, no one puts stuff in their drinks when they aren't looking. But for now, they are hanging out with a good group of people.
Are you more of a homebody or night life person?
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