It was already a hot summer day when I hopped out of bed at 8:30. I had a doctor’s appointment for a check-up, but not before eating a delicious breakfast prepared by my mother. While she was getting ready, she asked me to find the keys in her purse and go start the car.

Now, as an eighth grader, I was more than happy to start the car for her. I was only 14, and I was starting a car! I started the brand-new Grand Prix and pretended to race in the Daytona 500. Not using my head, I thought it would be cool to put the car into drive and pull out of the driveway - just a bit. I did, and I got to thinking that maybe driving is not as hard as I thought, so I ventured down the road for a little joy ride.

I had watched my mom drive all my life so I thought that it would be no problem for me. I took a trip to my friend Zach’s driveway, made a U-turn and started back to my trailer. There was a smirk on my face because I thought I was going to get away with what I had done, but that is when I struck out. I was approaching my trailer with a gigantic smile, like the Grinch who stole Christmas, only I was black, not green, and stealing a car instead of a holiday. I thought I was Mr. Big Shot because I had driven my mother’s car without adult supervision. I shifted the car into neutral because I was only a couple of feet from my house. While looking at myself in the rearview mirror, I discovered I was rolling past the trailer. I tried to take a turn into the driveway, but didn’t make it.

Crash! I wrecked the entire left side of my mom’s car on our fence. There was a huge dent in the door and the left side mirror dangled by its wires.

So, I was grounded for three months with no television, radio or my Playstation, which is when my huge smile turned into a big frown. I felt really horrible about what had happened to my mom’s car, but still kind of glad that I had done what I had. The only regret I have is the fact that my mom found out and that I hit the fence.

My mom told me, “James, I am going to knock your teeth out of your mouth and then make you pick them up, but not before I make you pay for the car.” I got a job and received a fat load of money a few weeks later and had to pay my mom back for destroying her car. If I could travel back in time and redo the whole thing, I would only change one thing: pay closer attention to the road. Maybe I should just hold out on the driving for a while, at least until I get my license.