Since I entertained you all yesterday with that ridiculous picture, I figure it’s your turn to entertain me. But don’t worry…I’ll show you the way.
For some reason, the other day the memory of that time I ran away from home popped into my head. I don’t remember why I ran away, other than I was SO MAD, but I do have a vivid memory of stating that I was running away and stalking out the back door. I was around 6 at the time. Unfortunately:
- This is when we lived in BFE, Oregon
- Our closest neighbor lived over a mile away.
- It was dark. Really, really dark.
Needless to say, I made to the end of the yard (about 20 feet, maybe?) before I had to seriously rethink my decision (in other words, I got scared). The total adventure probably lasted 1 minute. And I never ran away again.
So. What about you all? I bet you guys have some fabulous stories of when you ran away from home (or when your children ran away). I want to hear them..please share!
Oh, and here’s your fun photo for the day:
This is about three years prior to the running away. I’ve been told I still have that same expression of resigned disgust. In fact, that’s probably what I looked like when I realized that running away was a Very Bad Idea.
Hmmm, I was probably about eight the one and only time I ‘ran away.’ I didn’t make it past the front door though. I was mad at my mom about something and threatened to run away, and I suppose she had had it. She took the rather harsh approach of getting the suitcase out and telling me to go. I of course broke down crying and begged to stay.
I guess my story isn’t so much funny as sad, but it worked and I never threatened to run away again! Truth be told, my mom is extremely wonderful, so I probably deserved it. I had quite the mouth on me.
She´s last [type] ..1984 – George Orwell
I had a friend, next door neighbor and declared BEST-friend, who told her mother that she was running away. I think I told her I would help but had to be home when the streetlights came on. Anyway, her mother told her if she wanted to run away that she would need food so the three of us started making peanut butter sandwiches. I think we had seven or eight of them made and we packed up and went about two blocks. Can’t remember, but I think she decided to go home and try again in the morning. (I thought her mom was THE coolest. She always wore tank tops with the bra straps that would fall off her shoulder and I thought her so BRAVE for not being embarrasssed.)
I never tried to run away. I was the scaredest kid you ever met and rarely ever misbehaved. Although I did like to talk a lot.
Care´s last [type] ..Stuff and Probably a Bit More
OOooh, I do have a story but not one I remember but one my mother likes to tell. Once when I was about 4, I went missing as did the 4 yo boy I hung out with. They eventually found us a few blocks away swinging on a set of swings at a house my mother did not know. They never found our clothes.
Care´s last [type] ..Stuff and Probably a Bit More
Guess I was a boring kid — never attempted to run away from home (timid kid) and my kids never tried it as well. As a single parent for most of the years they were growing up, and often stressed, I might have let them run back then had they tried it …LOL
Diane@BibliophilebytheSea´s last [type] ..Northwest Corner; John Burnham Schwartz
My running away story is about like yours. I got mad for some reason and stormed out. Where did I run to? Our backyard. Yeah, I really showed my parents.
bermudaonion(Kathy)´s last [type] ..Guest review: The Watchers
My brother and I ran away when I was about 8 and he was 5. We packed our little suitcases, left a note (very responsible of us, I must admit) and we made it down the street about a block. At the first cross road we weren’t sure what to do so we played in the creek for a while then went home
Helen Murdoch´s last [type] ..Book Beginngs: July 13, 2012
I know I entertained the thought of running away on a few occasions, but I know I never made it very far. I think once in high school I stomped angrily out of the house and made it about a block before heading back to yell some more.
Trisha´s last [type] ..Book Review: Graveminder
My story is depressing so I will make it super short:
Ran away at 8. Took my 5 year old sis with me.
Social services found me later that day. I was walking around Hollywood but I had a plan.
I was never afraid and in fact, mad that they found us.
After that, SS laid it on the line for the parentals and things improved, for awhile.
I was never sexually abused or anything like that. It was more like we were invisible and the parentals didn’t know how to be parents.
Ti´s last [type] ..Books I Want to Read
The cutest little girl who ever was!! (you). And I’m with you on the face. I’ve been told several times lately that my face shows a look of disgust so I’ve had to start prefacing with “despite what my face says…” Apparently something to work on.
Um, no story. But tomorrow I do head to Maui! How’s that.
Trish´s last [type] ..Mostly Wordless Wednesday – El Ateneo
Mine is pretty similar to yours, but I was upset because my mom didn’t fix my hair correctly. I think my huge helicopter bow (red, I believe) was off-center. END OF THE WORLD. I got to the sidewalk (about 20 feet from the house).
Andi (@estellasrevenge)´s last [type] ..Bookish Stuff I Love
I once ran away and lived with my boyfriend in a tent in the wood when I was 16 for about 2 weeks. We took a bath in the lake, and got food from other campers. We rolled our own cigarettes and had a great time, until my mom found out where we were from a big-mouthed friend. It was one of the neatest experiences of my life. The guy was really wonderful and was my first love. He eventually came home too. Then his mom made him go live with his dad so we wouldn’t go running off. And that’s what happened when my mom tried to keep me and him apart! I was not a very good kid, apparently.
zibilee´s last [type] ..The Land of Decoration by Grace McCleen — 320 pgs
My mom was really strict. Like Footloose kind of strict. And I say Footloose, because this fight was about the fact that she refused to let me go to school dances, and I REALLY wanted to go to a dance with my boyfriend (who she didn’t know about of course).
Anyway, I planned for weeks. I had about $400 saved up, and I memorized the bus schedule. Then I planned to stick around until the night of the Sadie Hawkins dance. I asked my boyfriend, and we made plans with my best friend and her boyfriend. The plan was to tell my mom I was staying at my best friend’s house, we’d all go to the dance, and then I’d take the bus that left town at 2:30 a.m.
I was totally serious. I packed and got everything ready. I was going to live with my biological father, whom I’d only met once. Great idea. Anyway, my friend eventually told my mom, and she found my suitcase, and I was basically forbidden to leave the house for months. I was so mad at my friend, I stopped talking to her, but to this day I’ll be grateful she stopped me from making a HUGE mistake.
Basically that was nowhere near your cute story, but maybe it entertained you a little! Have a good weekend!
Brooke Bove´s last [type] ..Catching Up on Down Time
I remember constantly wanting to run away from home when I was little. I usually just went to my grandma’s house (down the street from my parents’ house–like seriously 3 houses away), but I remember walking home one time and seriously considering not going home. But then I didn’t know where I would go afterward, so I went home anyway. It was depressing.
heidenkind´s last [type] ..Review: WAIT FOR WHAT WILL COME by Barbara Michaels
I never tried to run away, but I do remember once when I was 10 throwing myself into my bed because it looked so dramatic when people did that sort of thing on tv. Of course, it looked rather stupid when I did it, because i had to climb up to the top bunk first…
Amanda´s last [type] ..Weekend Cooking: Fresh Cherry Cobbler
When my oldest was three, he and his girlfriend (yeah, I said girlfriend) decided they were going to run away from the babysitter’s house. They got about two blocks away when a police cruiser happened by and immediately knew that two three-year-olds walking by themselves wasn’t right. He popped them in the car and headed up the street. To this day, I’m not sure how he found out where they belonged – the babysitter never even told me this had happened. I found out about it a few weeks later when my son was talking about the policeman and Elizabeth and I got the rest of the story. And that was the end of that babysitter!
Lisa´s last [type] ..Where In The World Are You Reading?
That is the cutest look of resigned disgust I’ve ever seen!
And I ran away once and hid in our car (I’m guessing it wasn’t summer) and fell asleep on the backseat. No one could find me and my parents were really worried. Then I woke up, went inside and didn’t realize what all the fuss was about. I think I just needed a nap.
Jenners´s last [type] ..Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, The Book of Joe and Everything Is Wrong With Me Mini Reviews
LOLest
I really enjoyed reading all of your running away stories. I have several, but they are mostly like yours. Guess where I ran to: In the backyard 
Diana Alba´s last [type] ..Tasty BBQ