I was 13, and every summer I told myself "this year I'm going to play in the mud". This one was no different, except that I finally felt the courage to do it. My mom and sister were out, a rare double vacancy at my home. Instantly my mind was to gunge and mud once I was alone. I decided to make mud in the soft dark soil of the vegetable garden behind our house and next to the driveway. I dug up an area big enough to roll in, then began mixing with the garden hose. The mud was thick, just like is always wanted, and soon I was face first in the mud, feeling it push against my chest and neck and feeling amazing. The smell of the earth and the afternoon heat made it wonderful. Just when I was about to increase how good I felt, I heard a truck pulling In the driveway. My dad never came by during the week, or before work was over, and yet here he was. He blew the air horn and pulled up, feet from me, although blocked from view by a fence. I knew how silly it was to try to clean off, but I still sprayed by face and chest untill right before my dad and his employees walked up from the work truck. I thought about running, but I decided to face the embarrassing situation muddy head on. The employees were laughing at me, but my dad wasent. He just smiled and asked what I was doing. I said I was watering the garden and I slipped, and I got this muddy and wet trying to wash off.. A very poor and easy to destroy excuse. My dad simply turned and told his workers to stop laughing at me because I fell. Then I got to talk to my dad while soaking wet and muddy as hell. I never forgot that afternoon. I never forgot how surprised I was that the look in my dad's eyes seeing me in the mud was a look of "it's ok, there's nothing wrong with you" years later and my father has passed on, but I often remind myself he saw my biggest secret and it was ok . That gives me the courage to go out and share being messy. I'm really glad I got caught