I met a young

lady in the grocery store the other day. She asked, "Aren't you the

person who writes the articles in the newspaper? I recognize you from

your picture."

I told her

that all depends on whether she's from Minnesota and if she likes sweet

tea or not. She said she wasn't and she did. I said I was and so did I.

She said, "My husband and I read your articles every week and enjoy

them."

"Good."

I replied. "That means my readership has just doubled."

We bumped into

each other again at the checkout line, and I asked her what they liked

about the stories. She said that they were very timely and funny. WARNING:

Though this story is very timely, it's far from being funny. Funny will

return next week; serious is here this week.

The following

is a story I have written based on a poem by an unknown author titled,

"Moonlight Ride." Every weekend in April and the first in May,

high schools hold their proms. Young folks reading this article, please

make the right choices on those nights.

Jenny was so

happy about the new house her family had found. For once in her life,

she was gonna live on the "right side" of town, and have a golf

cart to ride around. She picked out her room and moved her things in thinking,

"It's great finally having a room to myself and not having to share.

In a couple of weeks, school will start, and I can have sleepovers and

maybe even go to parties now that I'm in high school."

On the first

day of school, everything went fine. Jenny even got a date, and for the

first time in her life she was gonna be popular. For you see, Jenny was

going out with the star of the team. The only problem was her parents

had said she was too young to start dating. She had to think of something.

"I know," she thought. "I just won't tell them the entire

truth. I'll tell them that I'm staying with friends. They'll believe that."

Jenny talked

to her parents, and reluctantly they agreed that she could sleep over

at her new friend's house Friday night. Excitedly, she got ready for her

date, feeling a little guilty she had lied. She thought, "What's

the harm in a little pizza, a party and maybe even a moonlight ride?"

Friday night

Jenny went out on her date. The pizza was good, the party was fine, but

the moonlight ride ­ well, it would just have to wait. Her date,

Tim, was drinking and wasn't ready to leave. He kissed her and said he

was all right to drive, but he was half drunk on three beers and a glass

of wine. When Tim was ready to leave, he didn't realize that he was too

drunk to drive. They took their moonlight ride to the point; that's where

Tim tried to make a pass. Jenny rejected his advance and asked him to

take her home.

Tim got mad

and floored the gas. In a few seconds, they were going much too fast.

Jenny pleaded for him to stop and let her out, as they neared the town.

But Tim just drove faster, never slowing down. Jenny thought, "I'll

tell my parents that I lied. I'll tell them I really went to a party and

out for a moonlight ride." Just then there was a bright flash, but

Jenny didn't remember what happened next because of the force of the impact.

She felt someone

remove her from the twisted wreckage and heard someone yell, "Call

for another ambulance! There's another car involved with two occupants."

Jenny awoke in the hospital to the voice of the ER doctor, "Jenny,

you've been in a wreck, and it's bad." She thought she heard someone

say that Tim was dead. "Jenny, we've done all that we can, but it

looks like we'll lose you too."

Weakly, she

asked, "But what about the people in the other car? Are they okay?"

She thought she heard someone say that the two occupants in the other

car had also died. Jenny said, "Doctor, please tell their families

that I'm sorry. I just wanted a little fun. If I could return their loved

ones to them, I would. Tell my Mom and Dad I'm sorry that I lied. It's

all my fault that so many have died."

The doctor

just held Jenny's hand as she slipped away, not saying a word. The nurses

couldn't believe how uncompassionate he was. One of them asked, "Doctor

Jim, why didn't you grant that girl her last request. Why didn't you tell

her mom and dad that she was sorry that she had lied?"

The doctor

turned away, with eyes so sad, and replied, "Nurse, they would not

have heard; her mom and dad were the people who died in the other car."

On prom night

I hope that some of you will think twice. Have fun, make the right choices

and, please, be safe. We have lost too many young folks already.

[Rick Ryckeley

is employed by the Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services.

He can be reached at [email protected].]