"Thewheels on the bus go 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round, 'round and'round," I sang at the top of my lungs. I was five and didn't have a care inthe world. I was hanging out in town with my brothers, and I was feeling fine. Mymom had asked us to pick up some groceries, and we had just pulled into theparking lot. My brother, Britton, turned off the car and pulled up the emergencybrake. I jumped onto my brother's back for a piggyback ride and we were off,ready to tackle Mom's list. I was a pretty good kid. I never sang at the top ofmy lungs in the grocery store like I did in the car and never, ever embarrassedmy brothers in front of their friends. No, not me.

"I don't think Momwould mind if I got these, do you?" I asked as I pulled a box of animalcrackers from the shelf, putting it in the cart. My brothers always found ways totake the animal crackers out and put them back without me noticing. I believedthey, and my mom, had super powers.

At the store, we reached my favoriteaisle: the paper products. To this day, I really don't know why I love thataisle. Maybe it was playing football with the paper towel rolls or watching mybrother stack the toilet paper and seeing the top roll fall through the air intohis arms, and be thrown down the aisle into the cart.

After checking out,I rushed out of the store with Britton's keys. Growing up on the farm, I hadalready started driving by myself and was Daddy's precious angel with keys. As mybrothers started loading the groceries into the car, I yelled back to ask if Icould start the car. Hearing no reply, I put the key in the ignition and waiteduntil the engine started. Britton's car was a stick, and I was used to startingan automatic.

The car lunged forward and stopped when it hit a Chevypick-up parked diagonally beside us. My eyes grew wide with fear as I realizedwhat I had done. I knew that if Britton had left the car in reverse both mybrothers would have been seriously injured or even dead. My brothers ran to me,shocked at what I had done. The first words out of my mouth were, "Are thecops going to arrest me?" I was so afraid that I would be taken away from myfamily.

The police came and talked to my brothers because I was so shakenby the incident. My parents also came to comfort me and to help my brothers withthe paperwork. After it was all done and the apologies made, we headedhome.

During that week, I believe I told my brother I was sorry a thousandtimes and cried many tears. But the rest of my family did not learn my lesson.They have all been in at least one accident - but one at the age of five wasenough for me.