Would you like to walk home?

My ex mother-in-law used to tell us about the time two of her sons were fighting in the car. It had become a regular occurrence and she was tired of it! She pulled the car over, kicked them out and told them to walk home. They were about 10 and 12yrs old at the time. It was a nice day. The walk was about 2 miles on a country road. She drove off leaving them in a cloud of dust.
They remembered how lonely and abandoned it felt to watch her drive off. They remembered being mad at each other at first but as they walked along that wore off. They were hot, dusty, thirsty and repentant when they made it home.
She remembered that from that moment on, any disturbance in the car was easily stopped by the question, “Would you like to walk home?”
Fast forward 30 years- I am driving home with my children. My oldest three are fighting. I’m sick of it. The eldest is about 10yrs old. Since Grandma’s story is a favorite- I ask the inevitable question after trying several other techniques- “Would you like to walk home?” It has worked in the past.
Imagine my surprise when a defiant “YES” comes back to me! Now what do I do? I pull over and let my 10yr old out. We are about a mile from home. I drive off with the rest of my gang. By the time I’ve driven that mile, I have imagined all sorts of things. What was I thinking? It’s not the 60’s- it’s the 90’s. Yes, it’s a country road but what if someone nabs him? What if he goes swimming in the pond and has a problem? What if he takes a shortcut thru the woods and gets lost?
I turn around and go back for him, my heart racing. There he is still marching along the road. Thank you, God! I tell him to get in. “No way” is his reply. I yell at him- “Get in the van, NOW!” “NO!!” What the heck am I going to do? The only thing I can. I follow along slowly behind him to make sure he arrives at home safely.
A car on the other side slows, the window rolls down, the occupant is speaking to him. My heart races again, my mother feathers start ruffling but they drive off. This happens two more times. I can’t take it any more I’m in full blown panic. I pull up to my son and ask him, “Why are those cars stopping? What did those people want?”
“They wanted to know if I needed any help and if that lady following me was causing any trouble.” Yup, it definitely was not the 60’s anymore. Needless to say I never used Grandma’s technique again. That’s the view from my side of the street, what’s yours?