Remaining Vigilant

When Claire McGarry finds sharp objects all over her garage floor after her son’s car project, she realizes she needs to remain vigilant in more ways than one.

My son, Zack, bought an old police cruiser and has been trying to soup it up ever since. But the modifications he wants are costly. His friend, Billy, is studying automotive in college and has an internship at a car dealership. When Zack couldn’t afford the new exhaust system he wanted that would make his car louder (apparently that’s a thing teens want), Billy suggested they cut off the dual muffler system to get the same effect. He promised it would still pass inspection.   

A few nights ago, they decided to tackle the project together. However, it was raining. So, I allowed Zack to park his car in my garage bay while they cut and disassemble the system. My other son, Mason, has been driving my car back and forth to work since. 

A matter of trust

Today, as I was circling around the garage to get into my car for the first time since the project, I noticed all the debris around and under my car: metal shavings, bolts, broken shards of a hack saw blade, etc. It was nothing short of a miracle that Mason hadn’t driven over any of it and gotten a flat tire. I’ve taught him to be attentive to sharp objects out on the road. But when it comes to our own garage, I trusted that he and I could let our guard down; that it was safe to pull in and out without scrutiny. I now know differently. 

Teens need vigilant parents 

It seems there are so many situations where I need to remain vigilant to protect my kids too. That new PG-13 movie that I assumed was okay for my 14-year-old daughter to watch? Lo and behold, there were inappropriate themes and messages throughout. That YouTuber who claims to be wholesome and pure? She sure has a different definition of those terms than I do. The songs that they’re playing now on mainstream radio? I’m continually flabbergasted when I stop and really listen to the lyrics.  

I’m not a doom-and-gloom kind of person who believes this world is a terrible place without redemption. When I look back in history, even just 75 years or so, I see that we’ve been in worse places, and have successfully made our way back.  

Nonetheless, is my job of being vigilant over just because my kids are teens? Absolutely not. In fact, I need to step it up now more than ever because they’re exposed to so much more than when they were little. 

I’m sure there will be more car projects in Zack’s future. Consequently, Mason and I will have to keep our guard up while going in and out of our garage (despite making Zack sweep it clean). I’d much rather us spot and remove a sharp object from the garage floor before we have to deal with a flat tire that leaves one of us stranded on the side of the highway.   

Likewise, I need to keep my radar tuned to what my kids are doing and being exposed to. I’d much rather catch their inappropriate behavior or exposure to it now, than have to fight the hard battle of bringing them back from the places that can lead. 

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Copyright 2024 Claire McGarry
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