I was sixteen years old and, in my opinion, old enough to do anything on my own. Although I was still young, I wanted to behave maturely. But of course, when adolescents act in ways they don’t usually act, things turn out worse. I thought I was more responsible and trustworthy. My parents drove me everywhere, but only when my friends were unavailable. I am sure it eventually became tedious driving me around, but …showed first 75 words of 607 total…

…showed last 75 words of 607 total…practically babied it; I washed, cleaned, and maintained it, doing everything possible to make the bike stay as new as it could. Driving through town, I paid more attention to my surroundings, ran green lights instead of red, and rode carefully; I learned to do that the hard way. I learned how to stay responsible and keep myself out of trouble. I faced the consequences, and realized that maturity is the key to staying alive.