The Fire Hydrant: There are stories we tell because they make people laugh—and then there are stories we carry, quietly, because they remind us who we were and how far we’ve come. This one happens to be both.

In today’s episode of Milkweed & Monarchs, I’m sharing a tale I’ve never been proud of, one that still makes me cringe and laugh in equal measure. It begins with an anxious sixteen-year-old behind the wheel for the first time, and ends with a Camaro, a fire hydrant, and a very patient friend named JD. It’s a story of reckless youth, hard truths, and the grace that sometimes finds us in the most unlikely places.

So buckle up—literally and figuratively—as we take a ride through a chapter that just might remind you of your own fire hydrant moment.