Well, folks, I’m alive after this last week—but just barely.

I went to Lake Powell with my family to enjoy a nice vacation full of relaxation and fun. For the most part it was. Lake Powell is beautiful and the water is the perfect temperature for jumping in whenever you feel like it.

The night before we came home, my daughter and I jumped off the back of the houseboat to clean up as best as can be done in lake water. My daughter stood on the ladder washing her hair when this crazy storm rushed through the area in a matter of seconds. I’m trying to be patient, treading water a few feet away while she finished, but the swells had gone from not much, to over two feet. Faster and faster the water came. There was no rhythm to it to gage between breaths. No matter what I did I couldn’t stop it from slapping me in the face, and for the first time in my life, I faced the real possibly of drowning. I’m not a weak swimmer, I’ve lapped for years, but this water had turned into a swirling monster bent on taking me down.

With the last of my strength, I kicked my legs extra hard, drawing myself high enough out of the water to yell, “Move!” at my daughter. I needed the stairs she blocked to save myself.

Without even turning around she said, “Just a minute, I need to put conditioner in my hair first.”

Lucky for me, my older sister heard my yell and came out to the back porch of the houseboat. She saw the situation and chucked at me one of the foam noodles there at her feet. The extra floatation saved me, but ooo….it didn’t save my daughter from a severe tongue lashing.

Teenagers, the gist of what she got, I’m going to give to you. And if you’re thinking why, we weren’t there. I’ve observed you guys for far too long not to recognize you’re all guilty of doing this, so ahem…

I get it, it’s hard to stop being selfish. You see the world around you with a very narrow point of view. I get it, you’re growing up and want to make decisions for yourself. So, an adult telling you to do something is the last thing you want to hear. But, these two traits, being selfish and stubborn, are a deadly combination—and not just physically, emotionally as well. Some of the greatest regrets in life can be avoided if you’ll just turn and consider the situations around you before you react.  Soapbox out!