A Life Lesson Learned the Hard Way

This essay was written by a seventeen year old Nanaimo resident describing her recent experience. I hope teachers, parents and others in the community will use this essay to initiate a discussion with young people.

Together We Can Make a Difference.

Joan Parsons

President
Rid Roads of Impaired Drivers

Everybody learns a life lesson, either through a friend or from personal experience, that you shouldn't drink and drive. Some people have seen it all happen before, witnessed their friends cars get smashed, see how their lives are turned upside down when their license is removed for 3 or more months. Others just choose to ignore it thinking it will never happen to them. Well, that's the worst thing you can do, is think the unexpected will never come your way. This was the first mistake I made.

It all started when I went to a gathering one night for one of my friend's birthdays. He was turning the big 16 years old. I was picked up around 9:00pm from my home; as I had previously arranged a safe ride to and from the party, since I knew I was going to be drinking. We had a good night, played games, danced, mingled, laughed till our hearts hurt, thinking nothing could possibly go wrong.

By 12:00pm I was done drinking and I admit I was under the influence and continued to party and dance. The house I was at ended up getting a little out of hand and eventually the parents decided to kick people out. The party ended around 2:30 when people finally started to leave. My friends and I left the party and our driver took us across town to another friends house. He too was having a get together.

As we entered the party I felt less and less influenced by the alcohol I had drank, as I stayed at the house for about and hour more. About half way through I wanted to head home but my driver had left and went to go stop off at McDonalds. He finally came back to get the other girls and me, and we manage to leave around 4:00am.

We drove around for another hour stopping at the previous birthday party to pick up some other people. After we picked them up our driver finally took my girlfriend and I home around 4:30am. By this time I felt I was coherent with everything going on, and thought that any alcohol in my system was washed out by this time. This was the mistake I made, as much as I thought there was no alcohol left in me, you can never be sure on how good your judgment is.

When my girlfriend and I arrived at home we decided we wanted McDonalds food. Even though I had drank earlier that night, I thought because of the time it was and because I felt sober it would be ok to drive. McDonalds was only a 3-minute drive from my house and I truly thought I was fine to drive. This all ended when I was in the drive through and bumped the back of a car who ended up being an undercover cop. The cop gave me a Breathalyzer and I failed.

I was taken downtown to the police station where I was given two more Breathalyzers to make sure the first was correct. I yet again, failed both of them. The cop told me I was going to be charged with a DUI. This is something no one wants on their record. Since I'm planning on being a nurse when I am older this would really effect my application into the course and later on would not aid in finding me a job. Plus a DUI fits under the Criminal Code.

With a criminal record it is difficult to leave the Country and enter another one anywhere in the world. That record stays for the rest of your life, which is not a good thing at all. I imagined my life's plans forever changed. I cried. I could not believe I had done something so stupid. I wish I could change time and go back to before I went to McDonalds, but I cant do that, I have to let this present time be a reminder to me how wrong my decision was. This whole event didn't only affect me but also my parents.

My parents would not only have to worry about driving me around while I lost my license but they were scared to death when a cop showed up at their door around 6 in the morning saying something had happened to their daughter. For all they knew I could have gotten in a fatal accident or extremely hurt my self. I had inflicted so much worry on them in the short time frame while the police officer explained to them where I was and what had happened. That has to be a parent's worst fear, opening the door and realizing there's a cop standing on the other side. A cop only bringing bad news, news that they can only imagine as the minutes flow in slow motion, while they wait to find out what has happened to their baby. This time I got lucky and my parents quickly found out that I wasn't hurt I was just stupid.

I realized after this, not only could I have hurt my self and my friend who was in my car, but also I could have smashed into another vehicle and possibly killed them. I could have killed another human being just because of my poor judgment. I could have ruined someone else's life. Now that's a whole different kind of criminal record. Somehow I decided to risk all of this because it was only a short drive and "nothing" would happen.

This event will affect me in many ways, one being when I think if I am ok to drive. Instead of thinking, "am I ok?" Now I'll choose to ask someone else to drive in the case that I might still be under the influence of alcohol. Not only will I ask myself this question, but I'll ask my friends as well. I have already started sharing my story and telling my friends how stupid and immature there decisions are if they make the same choice I made, and I wont get in a car with one of them ever again.

This was a choice I made, a poor one at that, but by listening to my story I hope I stop you from making the same choice. It can save your life and innocent others.

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