Good Morning!!

I was checking in with all my blogging buddies and saw the Friday Confession over at Weekend's off. It reminded me of something also so I thought I would follow suit and do a Friday Confession of my own.

When I was 16 I worked at a bank in Minneapolis. The gave all their employees a checking account when they were hired and paid through the checking account instead of giving us a paper check. This is way before direct deposit. This was like well, 28 (OH MY FUC*ING GOD) years ago.

Now this was when I was young and dumb (1979) and thought I was invincible. Smoking pot and an attitude of "I don't have to listen to what you say". I was living with my grandma because my parents decided to move to California and because I refused to move (How could you do this to me....I am 15...I have a job....I have friends....I have high school) they decided that I could stay with grandma. The problem with that was that grandma lived in St. Louis Park and my friend all lived in Minneapolis. We had public transportation but the last bus ran at 9:30 pm and that was the time most of the fun things started so I never wanted to go home. My grandma basically let me do what I wanted but I had to call her and tell her what was happening and because she did not drive anymore she could not come and get me if I missed the bus.

Anyway, I am far away from my story. I quit working at the bank but unfortunately did not stop writing checks. About a month later they were waiting for me when I went to cash a check. I was arrested and taken into custody. I can't really remember how I was released (yes, smoking pot does cause you not to remember things or maybe it is because is was 28 YEARS AGO.

I think they just let me go and I walked home. When it came time for my case to be heard, they came to my house in the morning and arrested me again. They took me to juvenile hall (remember this was 28 YEARS AGO) where I saw several friends that I had lost contact with. One guy was in there for hitting his mother, his brother was in there for hitting his brother for hitting his mother, etc. Anyway, we sat around and talked and smoked cigarettes all day long. (Yes, you could smoke in those days in places like that.)

When I went before the judge, he ordered me to move to California with my parents and not move back to Minnesota until I was at least 21 (yes, really...that was my punishment) They had reduced the charge from felony to misdemeanor simply by me pleading guilty to each check individually instead of all checks as a whole. I do have to tell you that this was the absolute worst thing they could have done to me because that was the last place I wanted to be.

Next time I will tell you about the flight, that is another story in itself.

BTW, thanks for all your prayers for my family and Brandie in her time of need. I talked to her the other day and she was in better spirits, even laughing for a minute but then I think that she feels guilty and stops laughing. It will get better in time.