When our son Mikos was a sophomore at Villa Park High School, I was part of an unpopular grassroots movement. Another mother and I formed a club called MAP, an acronym for Mothers Against Parties. Some of us moms knew that our boys were being exposed to alcohol at local parties, so we wanted to inform other parents of the parties that were being thrown with booze being served to kids.
Sheryl and I were the moms that spearheaded the club. Sheryl was unable to attend the first meeting, so I made sure to nominate her for president, and me as the vice-president. We made flyers and arranged for the other meetings. In the meantime, the word had spread about the new club at the high school. Mikos and Mark (Sheryl’s son) were being bombarded with questions about MAP.
We met with several interested parents, but they were skeptical of the new club, so the few meetings that we had were pretty much a disaster. The goal was to form a network of parents, and as soon as we found out about a party, we would call parents to warn them. During this time parties were being given with the full knowledge of parents serving alcohol to minors. We were aware that at some parties an admission was being charged. I could not believe that parents were so irresponsible in allowing this in their homes. I would not be a part of this. Little did I know that our son was already in a pre-party-animal mode.
Mikos was 15 years-old, which meant I was the taxi. Once Mikos and his friend Carter (our second son) needed a ride to a friend’s house. I drove them and dropped them off at the house. As I made my way around the cul-de-sac, I noticed there was a party at the end of the street. Mikos and Carter were still in the front yard of the house when I drove by. I rolled down my window and yelled, “Don’t even think of going to that party!” For sure my son would respect this command, as after all I was the VP of MAP. Sonja was in the back seat of the car, and she would never miss a opportunity to rat out her older brother. She said, “You know they are going to the party!” Carter and Mikos not only went to the party, and that decoy house where I dropped them off was that of a stranger. That is why they were still in the front yard when I drove by.
Soon the the short-lived club of MAP dissolved due to lack of interest. Both Mikos and Mark were the talk of Villa Park High School, and this just added to their popularity and more party invitations.
When Mikos turned 16, we bought him a car. The red Jetta came with personalized license plates “Mikos” and was also known as the Mikosmobile. It was not even two weeks later that he and Carter were traveling on the 91 Freeway, when a Highway Patrol officer pulled them over. Mikos got his first speeding ticket. It was not until just few days before his subsequent court appearance that he would share this information with us. I accompanied Mikos to court, and as we were standing in line, I asked to see the ticket. Mikos hesitated, but finally handed it to me. My son and his friend Carter were driving 90 miles per hour! As much as I wanted to scream, “What the hell were you thinking!” I held my tongue. I told Mikos to get his license out and to put it into his shirt pocket because the judge was going to take it from him. The judge gave Mikos two choices, guilty, or not guilty. Mikos answered not guilty. The judge said, “Young man, I commend you for your response but hand over your license.” This was sweet poetic justice and redemption for all that I went through with MAP. Of course I had to pay the price and become the taxi for the duration of Mikos’s suspended license.
I believe that all that we were put through in these teenage years made me become the Holy Roller that I am today, and I thank God for family therapy as well. Mikos followed in my footsteps and is the VP of sales for a (very) large organization.
Proverbs 29:17 Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.
