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Retiring Address: Chelsea Doss
The Turtle and
the Lunch Lady
When I was 9 years old, my sister Katlyn and I were nearly kidnapped.
We were sitting in the living room watching TV while
my Mom went for a walk and we heard the “napper” come in
the garage. We ran to the room in the very back of our house,
which happened to be my parent’s bathroom. Naturally, we
took shelter in the Jacuzzi tub. Balled up in the bottom of the
dry tub, we were shaking with fear, Katlyn and I were discussing
where our new home might be and how awful it was going to be
if someone took us, when it hit me. If we don’t have any REAL
protection, let’s improvise. I yelled loud enough for any intruders
to hear, “Katlyn, when do you think our Daddy who is a
professional wrestler will be home?” She looked confused, but I
elbowed her and she said, “He’ll be here soon, he’s just beating
some mean guy up, which is what he does all the time and then
he’ll be home. He loves beating up mean guys.” We kept ranting
and raving about our body-builder dad until my Mom showed
up. We laughed because not only was our dad NOT a professional
wrestler, there was also no kidnapper. Even though the
danger may not have been real, that day we felt what it was like
to be vulnerable. Being unprotected is a scary thing. Protection
is important and will help us maintain the relationships we have
and the things we love.
John, for example, was the youngest of four kids. So when
his older brother and sisters went to school, he was left at
home.
John spent the day with his mother learning
the alphabet, watching soap operas, and other
essentials, of course. However, his dad
thought it might be nice to give John a little
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