The Rule I Broke

I was a pretty darn well-behaved child. Well, at least the way I remember it. Nate even laughs about it when he sees pictures and videos of me when I was younger. Always smiling, listening and quite the helper. Now as an adolescent and as an adult...well that's a different story for another day.

I have always had this innate instinct to please people and do what is right. I knew right from wrong. What I should have known however, is to never listen to a silly boy.

I was probably around five-years-old at the time. I was at my daycare providers house, whom I adored, playing with my two best friends Brett and Matt. Brett, the son of the daycare provider, was truly my best friend when we were young.

I grew up in a small Midwestern town. So, we knew neighbors and everyone trusts one another. A couple days or maybe a week earlier we had gone to a neighbors house to play while at daycare. Totally supervised and allowed.

Well, on this particular afternoon we decided we wanted to go back to her house to play. I remember we were standing outside looking towards the house and Brett said with ease, "Let's just go". I however hesitated and said maybe we should ask your mom first. The boys however reassured me that we could go and it would be just fine. After all who would notice three missing children, right?

So, we went, played and just had an overall great time. That was until we started heading home. Brett's Dad met us about halfway there, and boy could I tell we were in trouble. They explained how long  they had been looking for us and the panic we had caused.

Our punishment? Time out on the couch. It doesn't sound harsh, but I do believe this is the first time I was ever really in trouble. I was so ashamed and embarrassed. After, we were released from the confinements of the couch I just sat there. Brett and Matt urged me to come back outside to play, but I just couldn't move.

I hated that feeling. The disappointment. I sat there beating myself up. I knew what was right and wrong. Oh, and what about when my parents find out? How will I face them? Now, I am not even sure if my Mom knows this story. They never said anything to me, and boy was that a relief.

That was how I learned to trust my instincts, follow the rules and to never listen to a silly boy again.