Youthful rites of passage and grey hairs...

Weird. That's what he said. We're weird.

My 18 year old is a reliable sort. Goes to work. Comes home. Goes to school. Comes home. Goes to the movies... tells us. Goes to a friend's... leaves a note.

He often works "close" at his job. This means he gets home sometimes just after midnight. 12:30 a.m. at the latest. He's not home by the time I go to bed this morning and I think that's a little (in his terms)... weird, but expect he'll walk in shortly as maybe there was more to do this time, but I don't sleep soundly. I'm listening.

I'm still listening at 2:50 a.m. so get up. He's not been home. I'm a tad concerned. Okay... a lot. So I wake up my main man. He, too, is concerned so hops in the car to go check the area and see if maybe he can find our son. Nope.

What to do? This is highly unusual. Has something happened (again) in our small community and maybe my son is hurt or been swarmed or...? Call the police to find out. They can't divulge any information without cause. Geesh. I'm just a mom looking for my good son. Well, if you want to file a Missing Person's report, then we can check the system and put the word out. Okay. Can I "de-list" him easily if he walks through my front door? Yes, ma'am, but if you don't cancel the case number, we can have him arrested and detained until we can get in touch with you. Hmmmm. Okay. So, my son becomes a case number. Then I check with the hospitals. Nope, not there. Whew.

Husband goes out again to double-check. Manages to get in the front door of where our son works as someone didn't lock up. Uh-oh... are they tied up in the back? Nope... but the alarm goes off, lol. So I get a call that he'll just wait around for someone to show up about the alarm and explain his presence there. I tell him I'll take a taxi to the precinct to bail him out [grin]. Alarm re-sets after a bit and I call my husband at 4:30 a.m. to say "the son" just walked through the door as if nothing happened; however he's a little sheepish to see me sitting there waiting. Hubby comes home as no one has showed up for the alarm.

We have a little quiet chat, no big fanfair, but we want him to know that he should've contacted us and/or told us of his plans. We were worried as he just has never done anything like this. We're weird, lol. But he takes the chat well and seems to know he messed up. He just "forgot". Geesh.

Where was he? Well at one of his co-worker's homes in the area. We don't know the co-workers so... couldn't check. They were just chillin' out after work and introducing our son to the intricacies of a mixed drink with vodka. Yes, he was feelin' no pain. This is only the second time that he's had alcohol; the first being his cousin's wedding a couple months ago. And yes... I did consider NOT cancelling the Missing Person's report, lol. Somehow, the image of him in the back of a police cruiser gave me a twisted sense of justice. Okay... I did call and cancel the report.

Fast forward to a couple hours ago and he needs to get up for work. He's got SEVERAL alarms going off in his room. Sounds like an air raid alert. No reaction. I holler and he gets up to start his day. Still saying we're "weird". If the shoe fits...

~ Shelley