This particular flashback took place my junior year of high school, in the year 2004.
I was staying with my grandparents because my parents were in China picking up this little Chinese cutie:
I woke up early that morning and actually got ready for seminary (an action that rarely happened). I was going to seminary because it was my turn to bring breakfast for my seminary class. So, I woke up, got ready- including doing my hair- and headed out the door.
At this time in my life, I was driving my first car Midnight, a black 1998 Dodge Intrepid. (May She Rest in Peace) This car belonged to my grandparents, and they graciously gave it to me when I got my license. I got into my car and started driving. I noticed that the steering wheel really didn't want to turn, but I thought oh the car is probably warming up.... ????? I know not too bright, but I kept driving.
I made it all the way out of the neighborhood and down the street a bit doing okay, but then I had to make a right turn and I could barely turn the wheel!!!! Something was NOT right. So I entered another neighborhood so I could find a driveway to turn around in.... NOT a good idea! I pulled into these people's drive way and could not make the turn to back out.... I could not get my car out of the driveway! At this point, it is raining hard.... there is a black car trying to go past me.... I am stuck halfway in the road- halfway in the random people's driveway.... and a school bus is behind the black car waiting to take children to school!!!
I panic, which of course means CRY! I then get out of the car and start sobbing to the man in the black car about the problem I am having!
I then do probably the stupidest and the most unsafe thing I have ever done in my life within the next two minutes!
The "nice" man (how could I really know he was nice) offered to back my car out so it would not block the street and then he offered to take me home (how could I count that I would make it home)! Those thoughts in the paraphrases should have been going in my mind!!!! BUT THEY WERE NOT!
I said thanks as I continued to cry and hopped in his car! Now, I did learn the same lessons you all did at one point in your lives... you know Stranger Danger... Don't get in a car with a stranger... etc!!! I just was in panic mode and forgot all that I had learned! I GOT IN THE CAR!!!!
And to make it worse, I did not even look at the man's face so if something did happen I would have never been able to identify him!!!!!
Luckily, he really was a nice man and I did make it back to my grandparents house where I explained to my Papa what happened and he promptly yelled at me and then asked- why did you not call me?
MY CELL PHONE! I HAD A CELL PHONE!!!! Oops!
My Papa then took me back to the scene of the incident and he drove my car and I drove his truck back to his house. My power steering had gone out. Which made me thankful I am driving in an age that there is power steering... cause that baby was hard to turn!
And that is the closest I have come to being taken.... well, at least where I completely forgot about the safety of myself!
Of course, when my parents got back I got another lecture about human trafficking and what men do to pretty high school girls... there might have even been a powerpoint presentation....
