Freedom

[susandennis]

As I was walking at the strip mall today, I saw a car pull up and a little boy hop out and bolt - I mean he could not get there fast enough - for the Game Stop store while his mom drove on. He was probably 10 or 11 and I think she just went to park.

But, the look on his face. I built this whole back story about his doing chores and/or being good and finally accumulating enough money to get that one game he wanted. He finally got the amount he need last week but had to wait until Saturday morning before he could get anyone to take him to the store. Those were some long days, man.

I think I was in about 6th grade so 12 when I started really getting frustrated by no transportation. We had buses but they were hard to figure out and I took one once to the library, without asking first, and we severely discouraged from trying that gambit again. We lived in North Carolina where you had to be 16 to drive. In South Carolina, you could get a learners permit at 14. I felt like I had to wait 4 years to live. 4 years to freedom.

That little kid this morning, reminded me what a joy it is to be my own person with my own car and my own money and do what I want to do when I want to do it how I want to do it. It's been 57 years since I was 12. Thankgoodness!

Comments

[siglinde99.livejournal.com]

I was talking about that car freedom feeling with my swim buddy Nadine just this morning. She didn’t get her driver’s license until she was 40-something. Now she doesn’t even have the patience to take the bus to work, and she lives quite near good bus service. She freely admits that she uses swim practice as her excuse. I can almost buy it because lugging swim bags around can be a pain, but I know she swims at the university where there is no public parking. I must remember to needle her about that next time :).

[gneu.livejournal.com]

I remember my chance to buy CDs at the mall coincided with my haircut appointments. Ooh, the excitement I had when I got home was way too cheesy!

[jwg.livejournal.com]

I grew up in the upper east side of manhattan and could walk to lots of places on my own. And the bus transportation and subway system is really good.

[susandennis]

I first visited NYC months after turning 16 (and getting my drivers license). I fell in love with the Automat and Chock Full o' Nuts and being able to rent best selling novels from the corner store and being able to get to all those places on my own and then it hit me smack in the face that I had totally grown up in the wrong real estate!

[lifeinroseland.livejournal.com]

I often give myself what I want & think of adulthood as doing whatever the fuck I want! I can’t even believe it sometimes. No homework!

[susandennis]

isn't no homework The Very Best?!! Still. I haven't had any in more than 45 years now and I still wallow in the wonderfulness of No Homework!!!

[maju01.livejournal.com]

I grew up on a farm 16 miles from the nearest town and didn't get my driver's licence until I was 17 1/2 or so. (You couldn't get a licence until you were 17. I had been able to drive since I was about 14, being a farm kid, but only on the farm.) My sisters and I were totally dependent on our father being available to drive us anywhere as our mother didn't drive, so we rarely left the farm except to to to school. After I got my licence I was very occasionally able to borrow the family car and I do remember the feeling of freedom then.

[susandennis]

17?! OMG I would have just fallen on my Number 2 pencil if I had had to wait that long.

Just after I turned 16 and got my license, my parents asked me ... if we buy you a car, are you willing to take on all the errands that your mother does now?

They knew, of course, that I would chew off my arm to get a car - whatever it took. Errands? NO BIG DEAL at all!! I did them all and enjoyed the heck out of doing them. My Mom was thrilled. The only one I couldn't do was liquor runs :)

[mallorys-camera.livejournal.com]

'nother Manhattan kid here. I went anywhere and everywhere I wanted to by my 10th birthday. Let's hear it for public transportation! :-)

[susandennis]

I have backdated envy :)

[zoefruitcake.livejournal.com]

We moved from the country into a town when I was 13 and suddenly I could walk places and take buses and trains places. It was so exciting. You can't drive until you are 17 here and although I got a provisional licence I didn't pass my test for another 10 years

[susandennis]

yep. clearly I was too far out in the suburbs to do it right :)

[letmesaythis.livejournal.com]

My experience was closer to the NYC lifestyle and I didn't get my license until I was 20 or 21.