There was a comment on another post this morning by ex-school nurse Jan talking about Ron Jr. leaving school when he wasn’t suppose to. I have no trouble buying into that happening. There was one morning in his 16th year of life that I wish he had left school for the day. Let me explain;

Ron Jr. got his first car, a Ford Probe. It’s hard for me to remember now, but it was either within weeks, maybe days or possibly hours he totaled it out on a country road, driving way too fast and I’m certain he wasn’t paying attention.

I had reasoned that a used Ford Probe was the most sensible thing buy him for a starter car. It was slightly used, but used. No kid needed to start out in a brand spanking new car.

After the wreck I went to Round Rock and bought him a brand new Honda Civic. I guess my reasoning was, he had used up his bad luck so he’d take care of this new Honda. Actually I doubt that I had much to back up my thinking on that, other than he and I had really had some heart to heart discussions about the car and future responsibilities.

Within a week or two, but it could have been the first day he took it to school, as he walked in the building a young girl, younger than him as I remember was in a panic. She had left her book or an assignment at home and desperately needed a ride home to get it.

Ron pitched her the keys and asked her to be careful with his new car.

A very sad Ron called after school that day to give us the news that his car was missing. His mother and I went to the school building to get him. “What happened” & “Who is this girl”?

He didn’t know the girls name. She was cute.

He finally asked around and got a name and where she lived.

We showed up at the house where this young lady lived. It appeared from everything we could find out that she and her teenage brother we the main occupants of the place. Her parents or parent had moved on to greener pastures.

After an exchange of words with the brother, it was determined that his best course of action would be to get in the house and dig up the keys to one green colored Honda automobile. He returned shortly thereafter with said keys.

From the smell of cigarettes and whatever else, along with an empty gas tank it was obvious that someone had enjoyed their day of skipping school. A person only needs to know me causally to understand how much I hate smelling cigarette smoke. I was probably more upset about the smell left behind than him letting her take the car. Actually neither was all that pleasing to me. I’m sure I mentioned all that to my young son, maybe more than once.

These photos are similar to Ron’s first two rides.