But even at my worst, I don't think I would have had the sheer nerve to do what this thirteen year old girl in Texas did. Holy damn, talk about taking the star-crossed lovers schtick to the extreme!
When her Dad took her X-Box away, our young heroine was so broken hearted at losing contact with her online boy-toy (he was 12) she decided the only possible solution was to steal her mother's ATM card, her brother's car, and then drive all the way to Tennessee to see him. Well, I suppose it shows initiative.
I'm just not sure how the hell she managed it! I'm fairly certain that I couldn't have done it at thirteen. Even ignoring the whole driving thing (who the hell teaches a thirteen how to drive anyway?) I would never have worked up the nerve to steal a car and an ATM card, and I definitely wouldn't have been brave or stupid enough to take off on an 800 mile trip without any more forethought than "gotta get to that boy".
The really terrifying thing is that she actually made to 50 miles outside of her destination before they caught her! How on earth does a thirteen year old drive 750 miles and no one thinks there's something hinky about it? She must have had to stop for petrol and food breaks, surely someone should have looked at her and though that there was something not right there.
But they did catch her eventually, and when her parents came to get her they let her meet with her Romeo, no doubt in an effort to get it out of her system. That was good of them. It's easy to forget that just because it's not important to an adult, it feels like life or death to a child. So our Romeo and Juliet got to have their epically tragic farewell in person.
But if this is how far she's willing to go now, imagine what she'll be like in a couple of years when her hormones are really raging.
Ain't young love grand!
Wow! That is so crazy! I almost wish she made it to his place! I wonder if he even knows she tried to get to him!!
ReplyDeleteAlso I think she might know how to drive cause of playing video games! They teach people a lot!!
Obviously we missed out on a lot growing up without those realistic computer games!
DeleteShe must have been tall for her age, otherwise, how does a 13 year old see over the steering wheel for 750 miles!?! I wouldn't know the difference between the gas and brake, let alone the rules of the road. Impressive. As her parents, you're mad, sure, but you kind of have to admire her gumption.
ReplyDeleteGood thing her Romeo didn't turn out to be a 45 year old pedophile. This story wouldn't have been nearly as whimsical if that happened.
It's actually terrifying when you stop to think about it! If I was her mother I would have flipped my shit!
DeleteHello Kellie:
ReplyDeleteWell, we think that most teenagers are thoroughly frightening beings and we could easily imagine them doing this and a great many other things should the inclination take them. In our teaching days, now happily over, the minds of adolescents were another country in our view and trying to reach inside and understand them was as difficult as mining the ocean. Yes, be afraid, be very afraid of teenagers....their imaginations know no bounds!!!!
It is scary what they're willing to try. I would never have had the guts at their age!
DeleteSome 13 year olds totally look old enough to drive. It's the hormones in the meat I tell ya!!
ReplyDeleteAnd then I just read Pickleope's comment about what if her boy turned out to be a pedophile and I now can't even remember what I was going to write. Too funny.
I blame the hormones in chicken for everything. Climate change, the economy, why my favourite show wasn't renewed. Damned hormones!
DeleteWhat a good story! I'm glad she's safe after an adventure like that.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm sure she knew he wasn't a pedophile; no doubt they'd spoken over headsets and whatnot. I understand the stigma attached to making friends online, but it's really not as dramatic as that, usually (this coming from someone who played a lot of online games as a kid and had a lot of online friends, too. None of them were pedophiles).
This story resonates with me a little bit because I met my husband online 8 years ago. We started off like those two, friends from the same video game community. We stayed in touch for a long time, through high school and college, and it slowly evolved into a long distance relationship. About a year and a half ago, we met in person for the first time. He graduated college, moved from Pittsburgh to Texas, got a really, really good job and the rest (as they say) is history.
I'm not condoning her actions. But one thing I'll say is that I'm thankful my parents respected my online friendships when I was young. They were my friends; they meant a lot to me. I would've been devastated to lose them, too.
Great post! Thanks for sharing.
I guess it's a hard line to walk as a parent. Weighing up safety with letting your kid have their friends on their terms.
DeleteWhat amazes me is that if she was willing to steal an ATM card, why didn't she just use it to buy a plane ticket? Then she might have been able to make it there before anyone found out and could have avoided the car theft.
ReplyDeleteLol! I guess it's harder for a thirteen year old to pass as an adult trying to get on a plane than as one driving on a freeway.
DeleteThat is one savvy chick!!!! Imagine the possibilities when she gets older. I have a hunch we haven't heard the last of her.
ReplyDeleteGive her five years,she'll either be running the world or in jail.
DeleteWow - one gutsy chick. Young love is amazing.
ReplyDeleteI guess it's always true love at that age :)
DeleteHoo boy, if my parents had caught me with a stolen ATM and a stolen car 750 miles from home when I was 13, I would have been forced to drive everyone home with no bathroom breaks, and when we got home I'd have found all of my stuff in the toolshed in the backyard. Good on her for following her heart, but seriously? Just be penpals or something.
ReplyDeleteI don't even want to contemplate what my parents would have done, based on their reactions when we used to make a mess in the lounge room!
DeleteSounds like her hormones are raging already, quite frankly.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure her hormones are doing a conga line, and her sex drive is doing body shots in the corner.
DeleteIf I was her mom, I would feel such an odd mix of pride at her tenacity (not to mention driving skill!) and awe at her overreacting.
ReplyDeleteLol! I can just imagine it. "Honey, we're very disappointed in you. We taught you better than this. You go caught with only fifty miles to go? We taught you to follow through!"
DeleteI notice the article says that Romeo tried to talk her out of the road trip, but she did it anyway--which pushes her that little bit further into the realm of "future police watch stalker."
ReplyDeleteIt's a bit scary when the twelve year old boy is the voice of reason in the situation.
Deletewow. There is nothing quite as mysterious as the teenage brain.
ReplyDeleteThe path of true love never did run smooth, to quote old Willy :)
Deletethere is no way on earth my kids will ever know my pin.
ReplyDeleteProbably a sensible precaution given this story.
DeleteMan... When I was 13, I was still playing with Barbi dolls.
ReplyDeleteAlso, note to self: Do not let daughters play xbox... Ever.
Hugs!
Valerie
Oh honey, if your daughters are anything like you, I think they'll be planning world domination by the time they're thirteen, never mind online boyfriends.
DeleteAll this at 13?? Holy crap. I was barely putting away Barbies.
ReplyDeleteAt thirteen my biggest issue was whether I could convince my parents I needed a new bike! It certainly wasn't grand. Theft auto!
DeleteOoops. I suppose I should have read the commenter directly above me. I'll amend:
ReplyDeleteI was barely putting away Strawberry Shortcake.
Better?
I've done some crazy things in my day. I drove a couple hundred miles when I was 16 to go see a guy---but I at least had my drivers license!! wow!!
ReplyDeleteAh, but did you steal the car you drove to do it? Nothing says thwarted teen love like committing a felony!
Deletenicely written and point well taken but I'm nearly 60 and those youngster need their brain's scanned. granted, some teens are large for their age. (or not)
ReplyDeletebtw, I like the look of your borders and colors and such. nice.
You'd have to assume she's big for her age, otherwise I'd be asking the petrol station attendants some hard questions.
DeleteThanks! I've been playing around with colours and backgrounds for a while and I think I've finally found a mix I like.
I don't know, maybe the punishment should have been no X-Box (still) AND she still can't see the guy who is obviously not a good match for her. "Oh, it's ok sweetheart, you only made it 750 miles, we'll take you the last 50 miles to meet the guy you stole the ATM card for and stole a vehicle. It's ok." No wonder she thought nothing of it.
ReplyDeleteYeah, maybe being grounded until she's thirty would have been a better plan.
DeleteShe sure beats me. The biggest thing I ever did for a girl was pick a rose out of someone's front yard for her.
ReplyDeleteLol! I think I wrote a poem for a boy once, but that about it for grand gestures.
ReplyDeleteIt was a long time since I was a thirteen year old girl, but now I consider all my romantic interests in high school lazy.
ReplyDeleteI know, I feel like I should up my game or something. If a thirteen year old can drive that far, surely I can do better than some lukewarm flirting and a five dollar daiquiri.
DeleteMy parents would have killed me! Uggh, I can just hear my Mother! ;0
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is 10 and I am not looking forward to the teen years that are fast approaching. I've already been through it with my oldest two sons but boys haven't got anything on girls I'm afraid.
((Hugs))
Laura
I'm pretty sure my parents would have skinned me alive, then guilted me about it for the rest of my natural life.
DeleteMy mother would have killed me. Killed. Brutally maimed, even!
ReplyDeleteSo, by the way, you’ve been nominated for a bloggy blog award called the Liebster (It may or may not be a “chain-blog, but I wanted to pass it on to blogs that I read and enjoy.) IF you want to , you can visit my post today to accept your award :)
http://quirkychrissy.com/2012/09/12/major-award/
Thanks!
Delete