Page 18 - March 2014 Catalyst

driving miss Jasmine
When Going the Wrong way is the Right Way
Henry Flowers “ e Motown Motivator”
“Daddy, where on EARTH are you GOING?!” “Jasmine, I’m tak- ing you to the gym for volleyball prac-
tice.” “But Daddy, the gym isn’t down- town!” “Jasmine, I know where the gym is, but why are you so frustrated?” “Be- cause, Daddy; I’ve never gone this way before and I don’t want to be late for practice.” “Okay. Well, you won’t be late for practice, and I promise you Jasmine, that with only three months of driving experience, there are a bunch of ways that you’ve never gone before. So how about get o my back, sit back and relax, and let me DRIVE!”
Ugh!!! Why don’t all of life’s problems happen to us all at once when we’re sev- enteen and know everything? e world
those other “opportunities”. Jasmine and I have really been engaged in battle when it comes to the dating game, and I’m not sure if you can ever determine a winner when it comes to battling teenage rebel- lion, but there will ALWAYS be a clearly de ned outcome. at’s where I wanted Jasmine to meet me...at the outcome...the destination.
As I came within a few minutes of the gym, I looked over at Miss Jasmine as she seemed to be resigned to the idea that we were going to be late. It was the same frustrated look that she had when I tried to talk to her about how to safely navi- gate through the dating game. I told her to make sure that she gets what she wants and ends up where she wants to be. I of-
“If it’s wrong for a dad to try to protect his little girl from broken hearts, then I don’t want to be right”
would be a much better place if it did. But until then, I’ve got the glorious task of raising teenagers; ve of them to be exact, but no one gives me more...umm...oppor- tunity to grow...than my precious Miss Jasmine. As I continued on the track that I knew would get us to where we were going, I couldn’t help but think about all
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ten remind her that I’ve been through the dating game and I actually believe that I won. Nineteen years of marriage seems like decent proof of that fact, and I would say that I sustained minimal damage to my fragile heart while looking for and nding “Misses Right”. As any caring father would, I simply want my daughter
march 2014