Courage under Pressure

I've calmed down since my last post. My mother and I have made up (as if anyone actually reads this thing lol) and we have a new respect for each other. She's being more receptive to my thoughts and ideas and I am giving her the same respect. We're communicating much better and I'm living my life as an "adult" in her eyes. Now, that being said, I have new responsibilities since I told her how I felt. I now completely pay for my own gas (which is about 10 dollars worth every week. i don't make enough money to put a full tank in it. 10 dollars usually gives me roughly 3 gallons of gas. Meaning I can go 100 miles before filling up again. During the summer, it's not that big of a deal but once school starts, I doubt 10 will get me through the entire week.) and I also am more independent when it comes to errands on the weekend. I play the drums and I have a lesson every Saturday. Before the email was fired to my mother, my father or her would take me because the drum lesson was way out on Lakeland Drive. Well, since then, I've expressed that I would be taking myself. It works out perfectly for me anyway. I can relax when I drive out there. I can get my thoughts straight and listen to music that has a good solid drum beat that I can follow. So, since my last blog, all has become well. Now, the reason for this blog.

I had to go to the bank today. I love it because I'm depositing my money that I worked for. Only bad part is I only get so much a week with babysitting. I get a good paycheck, mind you but the big paycheck I only get once a month. Then I get a paycheck from the other child I babysit which is usually what keeps my gas tank not on empty. But today was a bit different. I didn't have the seven year old. I got up early (as I always do when I have him) and unlocked the door. As I was coming back into my room, my cell phone buzzed telling me that I had a text. So, I got it out of my purse and checked it. It informed me that the seven year old would be staying with his stepdad. So, I had the day off. So, I came out of my room and into the living room. My mom's door was shut. Now, naturally since it's 7:30 in the morning, the first response is that she overslept. So, being the well behaved daughter that I am, I gently open her door and tell her it's 7:30. She informs me that she knows and she's staying home today to clean the house. Of course, that made a little light click on in my head saying that she should have some help cleaning. So, I told her I'd vacuum and dust as well as clean my bathroom and my bedroom. She told me that was fine but sent me on an errand first. I had to take both hers and my deposits to our separate banks. I purposely went to my bank last because it made more sense since my bank was right at a redlight on 49 and I could go 49 south to get back to my house. There was virtually no traffic so, I didn't have a problem. Or so I thought. As I was approaching the last Richland redlight down 49, the light turned yellow. I was about 50-100 feet away from the light when it turned yellow and I thought I could make it through. Wrong. As I was going through it, I looked up and saw that it had just turned red. I thought I'd be okay so, I scooted on along the rest of my destination. That is, until, I saw the familiar sight of red, blue, and yellow. Richland's finest was sitting at the last redlight and saw that I had ran it. Now, I was booking around 60-70 miles an hour down 49. Speed limit's 55. My natural response was that I was speeding. Nervously, I waited for him to come to my car. Sighing, I put the car in park and took off my seatbelt, anticipating him to ask me to step out of the car. My car is a mess and that is a redlight for a search for drug contraband. I had nothing to hide but that's what I was anticipating. I never turned the car off. But I took my seatbelt off. Here he comes to my window. First response was, "I'm so sorry officer." The last thing I wanted was a ticket. You see, when I got pulled over the first time (in the Flowood distrcit), my story didn't really make sense. I knew what I was trying to say but being so nervous, I couldn't get my story out right. Well, this time I was prepared. The speed honestly gets away from me on 49 because there are so many hills. And as it turns out, I was coasting down a hill on the way to the Florence limits. I hadn't made it there. He was older and the assumption was he was a Sargeant. Smart thinking. He was. How do I know? Younger police officers always went back to their car to check the license number. This man took my license and ran it at the window of my car. He had a fixed grin on his face as he listened to me appologize. He crossed his arms and said, "What do you think I pulled you over for?" This question was a bit confusing. But I answered with, "Honestly, I thought I was speeding." This prompted a chuckle from him. "Well, you were but i can look past that." He said. I looked at him rather strangly. "Then, what was I pulled over for?" I ask him, calming down a little bit. "You ran the redlight at Conoco." My heart dropped. "Really?" I asked nervously. He nodded slowly and handed me back my license. He grinned, tipped his hat, and said, "Have a good day, ma'am." I smiled and lit up and said, "I get a warning?" He grinned, turned, and said "Yep. Have a good day, kid." He winked and returned to his car. So, I got a break. Which I'm not complaining about. It's awesome when things work out like that. It was awesome.