Remembering

After a back-breaking day of housework because my spanking new shoe cabinet came, a certain memory found its way back to me and made me smile and sigh all at once.

I was conned by my friend to drive ''round the corner'' in a foreign country to pick up someone else. I didn't have a driving license back then. She knew I was terrified of hitting the roads for two main reasons- I wasn't confident as a driver, familiar with the roads and I was a good girl who went by the book (most of the time). Ok, three reasons and solid ones too.

So after a few directions from her to ''turn left, head straight etc etc'', I found myself on the expressway with cars whizzing by at 120km/hr. I screamed all the way back home as she continued to direct me back but this time, with two passengers in the car whom I didn't know very well. At all.

I held steady despite having my palms sweat profusely (it was autumn) and the huge fear that I'm going to end up on the headlines that I got us all killed AND because I was driving without a license.

By the grace of God, I didn't and am still alive. 

The travails of growing up. Getting conned by friends you trust. 

But gone are the days of youthful naivete.