22 Year old Lance has just gotten off high risk car insurance after 3 years of being on it. While it is not unusual for a 22 year old to be on high risk car insurance Lance got on it in a most unusual. way but first the back story. Lance was born April 3rd 1997 in Alton Indiana. That date happens to be the anniversary of one of it not the worst tornado outbreaks ever. Alton is a small town in Crawford county which is listed on some lists as the 3rd poorest county in the state. Alton sits right where the Little Blue River meets the Ohio and over the years some interesting things have taken place. Alton at least at one time had an Indian and festival dedicated to Native Americans. Alton does have a boat ramp and in the 80’s it was used as an access point for fire fighters for a barge fire on the Ohio River. The town which has been flooded before at least at one time had a vacation home built on stilts. I don’t know if the house, museum or the festival still go on as I haven’t been there in over 30 years. In the 80’s there were several lots purchased and used as fishing camps including my parents. Lance’s parents both work in Corydon, Dad is a sales manger at a large GM dealership and Mom is an insurance agent. By Crawford county standards the family is well off. Both parents born and raised in Alton still live there by choice. The couple have 2 kids besides Lance, Brooke now 24 and married living out of state. Brad now 18 a senior in high school looking at colleges leaning towards Indiana University Southeast in New Albany excited about living in the dorms in a bigger city. Brad an avid reader to this day began complaining of words running together when reading at about age 9. Since all 3 kids had only had their eyes checked at school or an MD’s office the parents elected to take then all in for a complete eye exam. Brooke did not need glasses and to this day has good vision. Brad was prescribed glasses for Astigmatism and mild Hyperopia and was told without the Astigmatism you probably wouldn’t need glasses. The combination of the 2 was causing the reading problems. Brad at age 14 had outgrown the Hyperopia but still wears glasses for reading due to the Astigmatism. Brad who got his drivers license as soon as he could is not restricted to glasses nor has he ever had to wear them full time. Brad does wear his glasses any time he thinks he needs them and sometimes doesn’t take them off when he could. Brad has worn glasses in every school picture since having them and wanted to wear them in his drivers license photo but in Indiana that is not allowed. Lance protesting the whole time by choice went last. Lance says just a week ago he checkup at school and this is a waste of time for him. Lance who was about 13 at the time claimed there was something wrong with letters projected on a wall when he couldn’t see them. Lance was told he was Myopic and asked if that could really happen in a week. Lance who went into the exam room without either parent present admitted how he fooled the school screening as long as the Optometrist wouldn’t tell his parents which the Dr. agreed to. Lance who knew his vision was changing simply listened to what other kids with good eyes and memorized the letters. Lance is prescribed glasses that are a little strong for a first pair at 1.75R and 2.00 L. Lance only wears his glasses when he has no choice. If he can see the board at school without them by sitting close he does. Some teachers knowing he has glasses make him take his assigned seat regardless of where it is. If Lance goes to a movie and can’t sit in the front he waits until the lights go off to put his glasses on and takes them off when the credits roll. Lance has always been considered a “cook kid” in the mostly rural county and he hates glasses for that reason. Lance was happy for Brooke when she was allowed to get her drivers license being gifted a car on the same day. Lance figured in 2 years it was his turn but he was wrong. Lance who by age 16 had his glasses go to 2.00 R and 2.25 L and was still not wearing his glasses anywhere near full time as he was told to. In Indiana and probably other states a parent or guardian had to sign financial responsibility forms for someone under 18 to get a learners permit or driver license. Lance’s parents know his attitude towards wearing glasses say they are not signing the required document until he wears his glasses full time as prescribed for 1 year. Lance though furious at his parents still dose not wear glasses as prescribed so no permit. Brad would get the same treatment getting a car and his license on the same day at age16. Lance a solid B student does graduate high school the month after turning 18 after making many threats to quit moves out on the last day of school. Lance moves in with an older cousin in Lanesville Indiana about halfway between Corydon and New Albany. Lance no longer needing a parent to sign for his permit get it and his cousin agrees to teach him to drive. Lance who had gone to work at McDonalds in nearby Georgetown does wear his glasses when learning to drive. Lance with the money given to him for high school graduation and working buys a car about 2 months before he gets his license. Lance is responsible and puts insurance on the car and starts driving mainly between Lanesville and Georgetown. Lance has not spoken to his parents since moving out. Lance despite not wearing his glasses most of the time when driving is actually a pretty good driver as his cousin used to teach at a private driving school. Lance and both times for lights out was stopped twice not wearing his glasses and one time the officer didn’t ask about the restriction and the other time when the officer asked he said he was wearing contacts. The officer asks Lance what a sign is that he can’t read but knows what it says and the officer believes him. The August after turning 19 Lance decides to go to the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis on a day off work. Lance is driving down a street coming to a green light where a bar sits on the corner. A car runs a right light and just clips Lance’s car in the rear fender. The bar has a very good camera system that the police use to see who is at fault in any accident on the corner. It looked like Lance is in the clear when the officer questions the restrictions on his license and again he tries the contact routine but this time it doesn’t work. The officer asks Lance what a sign says and not knowing the area he can’t tell him. Lance gets a ticket for violating a restriction on his license and the accident is deemed his fault. The damage was minor a with no injuries and to her credit the woman driving refuses to take any money from Lance’s insurance. Lance’s license is briefly suspended then reinstated by the state of Indiana. This is just the wakeup Lance needs. Lance at 19 does a couple of things. First he calls his parents crying them saying how stupid he has been about wearing glasses. Lance still living with his cousin finally decides to wear his glasses full time as he was supposed to for the last 6 years. Lance does have a happy reunion with his whole family when his Sister and her Husband comes to visit along with their 2 year old boy. Though Lance’s parents ask him to move back in with them he elects not to getting an apartment in New Albany and going to work for a label company there. Lance was just able to do this in the last couple of months because he don’t have to pay as much for insurance. This story is fantasy. The family mentioned is not real but some of the events are. Most of what I said about Alton is true. My Dad an avid fisherman and my Mom did have a fishing camp there until he passed away in 86. The barge fire is true and a New Albany fireman that we know the family said him and his coworkers would have liked to have had a place to wash up. If my parents had known that they would have probably giving them key to the house trailer so they could.