My son Mikey, 16, is doing work experience in London this week for a medical practice. My daughter found the work for him, and he went to stay with her in London while he's working. (Schools in England want kids to have at least a week or two of work experience but usually the kids just end up filing stuff but still they get a flavor of an office.)
You can't tell my son ANYTHING -- he already knows it. So when Katie tried to impress upon him where he needed to go and which bus he needed to take, he was too cool to pay much attention.
So he got on the wrong bus. This is London, you know, a huge city. Did he have his phone with him? NO. Did he have any money on him? NO.
Katie conveyed this info to me at 9 yesterday morning -- that's when my worrying started. My son was lost in London with no way to contact us.
Every so often I contacted Katie. She had been in touch with the office where he was supposed to work but he hadn't shown up. Hours passed -- I kept checking with my husband for news.
We don't discuss personal stuff at the office so I just kept my worrying to myself. By 3 in the afternoon, we decided we'd contact the police. My daughter went to the house in London in case Mikey turned up there, and my husband went home to see if he was there.
My son finally showed up at the medical practice after taking a million bus rides and walking for miles. I think he had a miserable day trying to find out where he was so maybe this was the best lesson of all for him. Don't jump on a bus in London when you don't know where you are going and especially if you don't have a phone or money with you.
8 comments:
I hate it when that happens... isn't there a saying about pride and falling?
He stayed on mission though and got to where he was going, thus affirming his navigation ability.
Actually Steve, ironically Mikey's motto is "Pride Comes Before A Fall". He has no experience of trying to get around in a city as large as London, but went about it just as if he was in the same medium size town where he's grown up.
I agree he did well to finally get there. I thought he'd be OK as long as he didn't panic.
You can tell me stuff. If not I would be an arrogant bugger who was full of himself...oh wait.
...you are.
Mikey, I don't blame you one bit! I'd much rather wander about London than be in an office:):)...seriously, glad you turned up in one piece.
mel, how funny! I must admit I am terrible for "heads down just keeping walking" and not asking for directions; where I want to go is always just around the next corner of course :)
Not sure you'd want to be wandering where he was wandering, Brenda... it was south east London specifically Peckham he was making friends with!
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