Today I got my first speeding ticket. I was already running late to work due to my dentist appointment taking longer than expected and I was trying to get to school as soon as possible.

As I was driving down May Avenue, a cop car on the opposing side of the road flashed on his lights and turned his vehicle around to get in my lane. A quick look in my rearview mirror confirmed no other cars were around me; therefore, I was his victim.

I quickly pulled over to the side of the road, just less than a block shy from the school. Almost made it.

I rolled down my window, got out my license, and waited as the cop approached my car and asked me if I knew how fast I was going. “No,” I lied.

He wasn’t rude. He was actually quite nice. He was just doing his job after all and I gave him no reason to be rude to me.

After receiving my ticket, I finally made my way to school. I called my mom on the way there, who was less than pleased to hear this news. I was not concerned about the ticket at all but she made it seem as if I committed a heinous crime.

I thought about all the ways I might have avoided that ticket had I done one thing different today: I could have gotten lunch before I went to school, if my dentist wouldn’t have been running late I would have been at school an hour earlier, I could have taken the interstate (which I almost did), or I could have just gone the speed limit.

My parents can be angry at me all they want but the point is, I can’t change the fact I got a ticket so why worry about it? I broke the law and now I get to pay a lovely sum of money which will probably go toward the improvement of our city, education system or some other related topic. You’re welcome, Oklahoma.

You can choose to make a big deal out of the small stuff or you can choose to laugh it off, pay your dues, and learn not to do it again. The choice is yours.