But to someone my age, the rodeo is just no longer a family thing; it's a friend thing, at least for me. After all, I don't ask to hang out with my friends on Thanksgiving, because that's a family thing and I understand that. My parents justified "supervising" me by saying that the rodeo was "too far" from home for me to be alone, but it is only a bit further than school and they let me make that trip "alone" at night all the time. Even if there are legitimate safety issues about being out "alone," they don't apply when I'm actually not "alone," but with all of my friends.

Their other concern was that "there's always alcohol at the rodeo," but there are also always cops walking around the whole place. They make you spill out anything they catch you with and they all know I'm underage, so even if I wanted to drink, it wouldn't be at the rodeo. I told my parents, "If I wanted...

I won that game by keeping a straight face and looking them in the eyes.
The irony is that most of the places my parents allow me to go "alone" are always used by some kids to do things like drink; the rodeo isn't. Actually, I wish I could show my parents a video of us at the rodeo because that might be one of the only times that wouldn't further jeopardize my Summer freedom.