On September 8, my cousin Maia turned 21. Her mother collected advice and compiled it into a book entitled, "The 21 Project". Below is my contribution...
Dear Maia,
Somehow I remember my 21st birthday vividly…STORY TIME!!!
My girlfriend drove home from UMES to ensure I had the BEST birthday ever…another one of my girlfriends at the time tagged along as we headed to a male strip club. Of course, I had multiple drinks and as we walked to the car…can you guess what happened?! I HAD TO PEE. We got to the car, I threw my new Coach bag in while my one gf sat in the car…and my other gf walked me to an alley to handle my business, because I was NOT going to make it home.
All of a sudden my girlfriend in the car was screaming, “He is pointing a gun at me” - soooo ummmm, PANIC MUCH mid stream?! We get back to the car and the guy is gone…but he stole my NEW COACH BAG with EVERYTHING inside along with some other personal items that belonged to my friends…so now I am thinking HOW AM I GOING TO EXPLAIN THIS TO MY DAD (Can you believe he remembers ALL these details vividly?!)…and what do you know, a cop car drove down the street; my girlfriend hopped in the car to look for the guy; my dad arrived at the scene; and we ended up at Central Detectives to make a report. Guess who could NOT describe the perp?!
Needless to say, my parents were NOT happy…BUT Pop Pop replaced my Coach bag…so I suppose I wasn’t TOO broken up about the incident AND me and my girlfriend still laugh about it today. My parents are still NOT amused.
Lessons I learned from this experience:
- Pay for parking in a lot with lights when going out instead of parking on a dark street just because it is free.
- Be grateful always. This situation could have easily taken an ugly turn.
- Your parents are NOT always your enemy. AND believe it or not…they typically know what they are talking about…I guess since they experienced it all before…WHO KNEW?!
- Another thing about these parents…THEY ALWAYS HAVE YOUR BACK. NO MATTER WHAT. Do not be scared to confide in them for advice.
- Throughout life we will make stupid mistakes…don’t beat yourself up too hard. Learn from it and move on (I now make sure I pee before I leave an establishment if I have been drinking)…and laugh at yourself later.
- Although someone is your "best” friend at the time, they may only be in your life for a season. Know it is ok to let go of any relationships that no longer make you feel good or elevate you to your higher purpose.
Buckle up Maia as you enter this new phase of adulthood – I am sure it will be a wild ride filled with challenges and passions pursued. You deserve everything good this world has to offer – claim it as yours. Also, make these men EARN EVERYTHING. And when all else fails remember, His grace is sufficient. His strength made perfect in weakness.
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