I was speeding...

 Yep, I was speeding.

First one since I was 18.

It was in St. Gabriel, an area I pass quite often.

The difference this day was my sister, C was with me

and we were talking....

What, me talking?? yep...

As I said I pass this area quite often but not at this time of day.

I never noticed the flashing yellow lights that marked

a school zone. I did notice the officer come out from behind the

tree with his radar in hand flagging me down.

he stated "Going 44 in a 25" had me turn around and

I heard him call in my license plate number.

C said, "Oh he won't give you a ticket"

His nonsense approach told me otherwise.

I was just realizing it was a school zone ticket.

How could I have missed that?

I deserved the ticket, I was speeding and I take school zones seriously

having been a school nurse for a quarter of my 30 years in nursing.

I appreciated this officer, he didn't give me any sass,

didn't give me any leeway to talk myself out of the ticket.

As he came back with my ticket, I apologized and he kindly said

probably after finding out I was not a fugitive or had a warrant

for my arrest, "We all make mistakes, Just be careful."

As I pulled out C wondered, " Can you get it fixed?"

NO, I had decided I was not going to get it fixed.

I was speeding and I had a lesson to learn. 

I was going to pay the ticket.

I waited about a week and called the St. Gabriel Police Dept.

The kind woman did not ask for a ticket number,

only asked, "What was the speed limit and how fast were you going?"

44 in a 25, was my answer.

"$170 and make sure you send a money order."

Okay, not only was I going to pay the ticket but I would

be forced out of my comfort zone to  buy a money order.

No check would do. I purchased the money order,

and it sat at my desk along with the ticket for a few days.

By this time, I wondered how long I could sit with a ticket

before they would arrest me.

I real criminal I am not, the real things don't worry about 

arrest warrants...

On with the story.

My court date was coming up, better mail this thing.

As I sat down with ticket and payment in hand I thought

of the purpose of speeding tickets.

In my case, it worked. I knew I would be more careful

around school zones and in general when regards to speeding.

I wondered if one of the reasons, besides some writing bad checks,

having you send a money order was, in fact, to get me out of

my comfort zone, to have me think of what I had done.

With these thoughts in hand I decided, I needed to make the officer

a thank you card. Yep, A 'Mumsie's Cottage' original

complete with a long love letter on the inside.

Finally the ticket was in the mail and I could put the

whole ordeal behind me. 

Even with that, I know I will never receive another 

speeding ticket in a school zone.