NOVEMBER 06, 2006
You remember me telling you about the conflict with Kenny and wanting a motor scooter. They have these small ones that are less dangerous (if that is possible). Anyway I would like for him to have one but there were many reasons that I kept saying “no”.
The reasons for 'yes' would be that: All his friends have one (peer pressure), it is faster and easier to get around the compound, and it is fun and cool!! Also, if he were back in the states he would have a car to use for his freedom that he doesn't have here - even though the compound is supplied with a mini market, a foot reflexology massage place, dry cleaning, swimming pool, tennis courts, all the facility’s at the HS, restaurants, etc. It is still a sort of entrapment in that it is small and confined.
The reasons for not getting one is that: 1. It has been a family rule since Dad and I first met (after we were engaged, of course, it might have been that week we dated before we were engaged, this nice Samoan guy pulled up on his Harley Davidson and took me for a spin around the block - after I came back Dad decided right then and there that we needed to make a pact not to ever ride motorcycles. I was ok with this as I didn't want him getting killed or injured on one either). The second reason is of course the danger of it. Within the compound there are a lot of speed bumps but there are a lot of cars that zip around fast and bicyclist and other motorcycles. And even though the motorcycle wouldn’t go very fast, it does rain a lot and the road conditions are a bit rough and so accidents could happen. And if Kenny got to have a little scooter then Timmy would automatically get to use it when he was older and that is a whole new can of worms. The worry is that if it wasn’t Kenny in an accident or paralyzed then it would be Timmy because of our decision with Kenny. Or when Kenny got back into the states what would stop him from taking the next step and getting a larger motorcycle? Anyway, I knew it would be nice for him to have a scooter so that he could go off with his friends and have fun (not just trailing behind on his bicycle). It made me sad that I kept saying no.
The reasons for not getting one is that: 1. It has been a family rule since Dad and I first met (after we were engaged, of course, it might have been that week we dated before we were engaged, this nice Samoan guy pulled up on his Harley Davidson and took me for a spin around the block - after I came back Dad decided right then and there that we needed to make a pact not to ever ride motorcycles. I was ok with this as I didn't want him getting killed or injured on one either). The second reason is of course the danger of it. Within the compound there are a lot of speed bumps but there are a lot of cars that zip around fast and bicyclist and other motorcycles. And even though the motorcycle wouldn’t go very fast, it does rain a lot and the road conditions are a bit rough and so accidents could happen. And if Kenny got to have a little scooter then Timmy would automatically get to use it when he was older and that is a whole new can of worms. The worry is that if it wasn’t Kenny in an accident or paralyzed then it would be Timmy because of our decision with Kenny. Or when Kenny got back into the states what would stop him from taking the next step and getting a larger motorcycle? Anyway, I knew it would be nice for him to have a scooter so that he could go off with his friends and have fun (not just trailing behind on his bicycle). It made me sad that I kept saying no.
I kept praying about it and I could never come up with a good feeling about it. I tried to get everyone else involved in the prayer but it seemed like even though they didn’t have a bad feeling like me, they did have a ‘stupor of thought’. We would drop the whole issue, but then every now and then Kenny would brooch the subject again. I would take it to Heavenly Father and ask again but I just could not get a good feeling. I did this a number of times, you know thinking that the circumstances had changed like; starting from when he wanted a larger motorcycle down to him thinking a tiny mini bike/scooter would be sufficient. But then I got a bit worried because I didn’t want to keep asking in case Heavenly Father would finally say "yes" just to get me off his back (Like Joseph Smith and the 16 page manuscript). The answer kept being no and so I didn’t want to go against that answer.
Well, needless to say, the other night Kenny was at a party and one of the boys left his motorcycle at the party and wanted someone to drive it to his house. Since everyone else had been drinking Kenny volunteered to take it to his house. So what do you think happened???? Any guesses??? You got it, Kenny got into a little accident and skidded off the bike and scraped up his arm pretty bad along with his hip. A few other scrapes and scratches, but nothing broken. Afterward Billy had a little talk with him and reminded him of the warning that Heavenly Father had already given us about this. I haven’t said a word and won’t for awhile, but he needs to realize that he shouldn’t even be on the back of anyone else’s motorcycle, either, let alone driving one himself.
Well that is all our news. Dad is in Australia for the week. Later I will write about the Marine Ball that we went to last Saturday!
