So, no sweat (bad pun–if you’ve been reading my previous posts!), I just show up at the courthouse in Kansas City, Kansas, on the appointed date and time and speeding will become jaywalking or a missing hubcap or something, right?

Well, not exactly—I forgot to write down the date I was to be in court and got busy with life. We had a lot going on:  we were packing up our belonging having just sold our house and were off to India for a week right before we moved (Do you detect a setup for an excuse for forgetting???).

 From time to time I remembered that I missed the court date. I told myself,  ”I need to call the city and find out what to do!” Then, promptly turned my attention to something else. Embarrassed? Lazy? Fear? Whatever, the motive and the motive behind the motive, I never followed up on my speeding ticket.

It took awhile for me to notify people of our new address so most mail arrived at the new house with the yellow forwarding sticker from the post office (they’re so helpful, you know!). One day when retrieving my mail, I noticed an unusual letter from the City of Kansas City, Kansas. “Oh no, not another solicitation for the Policemen’s Circus for Underprivileged Urchins again!” I thought. Wrongo, oh forgetful one! This was a letter informing me that my license was suspended because I never showed up in court, never paid my ticket! Now that got my attention and, putting aside all my excuses, I called my attorney for guidance.

He talked to the District Attorney’s Office in KCKS, explained that I had forgotten, yada,yada, yada, and the city agreed to allow me to plead to a non-moving violation of jaywalking (honest to God!) and my attorney told me, “All is well!”, sent me a bill for his services and the fine levied by KCKS—which I paid immediately!

So, I’m too busy? too important? too stupid? The “I’ll take care of it when I get around to it” attitude failed miserably. Why don’t I just do the next right thing, follow the rules, show up in court, and be done with it?

Hmmm……