#25: Growing Up?

Last night I went to bed around 10:30, my normal "bedtime" these days. Considering how I work full days and get up between 6 and 7 a.m. and yesterday I worked out for half an hour straight, I feel it is a normal time for an adult to go to bed. Then I heard a ruckus outside and got up to investigate. Down the street (in the darkness because we're one of the only houses that keeps our front lights on at night) several cars were parked haphazardly on the street and many shadowed people were standing in the middle of the street. They were all in front of our neighbor's house where a high schooler (junior or senior?) and college sophomore live. Their mom is a nurse, their dad is a cop. I'm assuming all the people hanging out were friends of the high school aged son. They were being loud and obnoxious and I was annoyed as I enjoy having my windows open on beautiful summer nights but its hard to sleep when stupid kids are laughing and talking so close to our house. I stood out on our front step and watched as a few of them got into cars and started driving away. One of the guys got in his car and proceeded to BACK UP down the street, around the corner to go down another street then around yet another corner. Another kid followed him (driving in the correct direction). At this point, I was PISSED and concerned for the safety of my car which is parked on the street in front of my house, dangerously close to where these idiots were driving. The rest of the kids milled around for a while then got into their cars and sped away as well. Finally, there was peace on our street and I was able to go lay back down, only to jump and wonder about every single noise that came from outside.

I updated my Facebook status with a threat to my neighbors (both of whom I am friends with on FB) that I will call the cops next time their friends are like this, ending the status with "neighborhood watch, bitches". I'm witty. Then I thought about it for a while and deleted the status. My thought process was twofold- one, I did not want my car egged or our house TPed (which happened to my across the street neighbor two nights ago). Two, I remember being in high school and I KNOW my friends were loud and obnoxious (though they always drove the proper direction down the street). I realized then that I must be growing up. I was always annoyed with my friends in high school when they were too loud or were doing something stupid but that was just it- we were in high school. I figured we were allowed some sort of pass for being stupid because we were just teenagers. I really had to put myself in check last night and realize that maybe that's what these kids are thinking too.

So I'll let the loudness slide for now... but if any of those morons drive down the street backwards ever again, I will call the cops.