When I Was 19

Today we went to a birthday party for a friend turning 19. (Happy birthday, Nick!)

If you've ever been 19, you know it's a different kind of year. First, it's your last shot at the whole "teenage" thing. When you turn 20, what's your excuse? Old age? Secondly, you're an adult. But you're not totally sure you want to be. (And you don't! Wait as long as you can to pay the electric bill.)

It was a while ago for some of us, wasn't it? I don't know about you, but when I was 19:

1) I bought my first car and finally got a license. (Don't judge! Dang parallel parking . . .)

2) I decided to change career plans. I was a chemistry major, preparing to go into medicine. In my exuberance, I forgot: Medicine is science. I had an epiphany in chem lab, where we were dropping sulfuric-smelling liquid in micro-milliliters from tiny pipettes: Science isn't my thing. Thank heaven for elementary ed.

3) I first checked my email. Using dial-up. "You've got mail!"

4) We found out my mom was fighting ovarian cancer. And she won. (Hi, Mom!)

5) I drove some girlfriends to the mall. On a trip with exactly two turns, I got lost. Twice.

6) I drove one of my sisters to a different mall. When we finished shopping, we almost called the police to report my car stolen. Then we walked to the other side of the mall and found my '88 Buick Skyhawk. Laughing at us.

7) My sister fell asleep on the drive home from that trip. I didn't; but I did get lost.

8) The Preacher talked to me on a college trip. He made me really mad once.

9) The Preacher made it up to me by saying something nice. You know that story, don't you?

10) I didn't know about these people yet:

Thankful to Be Old,
Becki~