Going For A Swim?

This has been one heck of an interesting day.

Woke up about 5:40 this morning to the melodious sounds of a torrential downpour. By the time we left the house, my front yard was a lake. It had rained mildly off and on yesterday, but nothing bad. Must have rained alot during the night. Before eight o'clock the radio was reporting unofficial rainfall totals exceeding five inches.

Dropped my son safely at school. I'm so glad he wasn't in the car with me when I started swimming upstream. Have any of you ever felt that most frightening of moments when your car wheels actually leave the pavement? I never had either.

The west side of town is the worst when it floods. I've driven through swollen roads on the way to work several times. Always made it through with no problem. What's several inches of water flowing across the road, eh?

Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid - that was basically my mantra for the first five minutes when I realized it was getting deeper and deeper, we're talking FEET this time. Then it became a desperate cry of "help me Jesus!" for the next fifteen. Cars were in front and cars were behind. I didn't dare try to turn off the main road because the water was even deeper along the sides and at the roadway intersections. I didn't have a chance of making it into a parking lot.

I drove as close to the middle of the road as possible until other cars came down from the opposite direction. It started to get better. I breathed a sigh of relief. Then it got deep again. Did that to me four or five times.

You know that saying - it usually gets worse before it gets better? I hate it when that happens.

Just when I was at the deepest part of the water, an industrial truck came from the opposite direction. His leading wave swamped over my car. That's when it happened.

It only lasted for a split second, but my car wheels left the pavement and I floated. Freakiest and most scariest moment in a LONG time. I just knew my car was going to stall any second.

Miracle of miracles - I think my Jesus heard me. The depths finally lessened until it was just a few inches across the road by the time I arrived at my job. My car never stalled. I was safe. Boy, I was shaking like crazy when the adrenaline finally hit. When another of my co-workers made it safely in, she just broke down and cried from the stress release.

Needless to say, it's been raining all day. Flash flood warnings are all over the place. Schools let out. Roads are closed all over town. The radio started screaming that people needed to just stay indoors. When the first let up in the downpour occured, my boss told us to grab some work and get back home via the interstate before the next wave hit.

Didn't have to tell me twice.

Advice Anyone????

Sometimes I don't know how to read my son.

This summer he's been Mr. Independent, traveling to various places with choir and youth groups. He's had a great time and I think the opportunities have been so good for him in so many ways.

That's why I'm a little stumped right now.

Last year when he got his learner's permit to drive, he aced the test. Didn't miss a single question. I've been telling him for a month to be reading up on the manual because he needed to take his test to get a restricted license. Told me he did. Thought that he did. Guess he really didn't.

Friday I took him to renew since I was off work. He took the written test and missed seven questions, two too many to get his license renewed. I was stunned.

Lately he's been fighting me on his driving. I'd kept my previous car when I bought my new one a couple of years ago just so he'd have a car to drive when ready. Only thing is the old car that is to be my son's is a manual transmission, and he learned on an automatic. I figured no problem, since I eventually learned how to drive a stick and loved it. Ah, the control. Ah, the power.

Wait, was that a cop I just passed?

Anyway, I get the teeniest feeling he failed on purpose. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but it is quite interesting how he went from Mr. Ace to Mr. Failure in the span of one year. Next month when he turns 16 he'll be getting his first job. I guess he'll have to walk to work and home again. Maybe then he'll rethink his attitude. Maybe then he'll actually see the benefit to driving himself. Cause let me tell you - this mother isn't going to be driving him.

Yeah, there's probably some fear there of the unknown. Maybe walking will renew the thirst to learn. One can only hope.

I'm open to advice!