Here's something to think about. Have you ever had an idea or a thought, and said to yourself, I'll wait awhile before I do that? How about getting ready to leave the house and thinking, you know what, I'll wait a few minutes. Yesterday afternoon was a day I wish I would have waited just 5 seconds.
As I drive down the street, just a few blocks from my house, I come to the four way stop, the same 4 way stop I've been stopping at for some almost twenty years. I notice a girl in a car to my left, it's my turn to go, and next, BOOM, CRASH, OH MY GOD, and then astonishment!
The impact was horrendous. During the impact, I blanked out for a few seconds, and my head and neck, I'm sure resembled a bobble head.
I had proceeded to go, and she ran the stop sign so I hit her head on with my car. My car is totaled! At least I would think. I couldn't even get out of my door without pushing it really hard.
After the crash, I remember being really mad at first. I even yelled out my window to the girl right after the impact, "What the Hell were you doing? She's a young girl, maybe even high school? She's says, I'm sorry, and begins to cry while setting in her car.
I continue setting in my car and think to myself, am I hurt? I feel the top of my head and there's a bump, and it kind of hurts. I notice my neck is hurting too. About that time I also notice my air bags didn't deploy, and thinking that's really weird. Why didn't my air bags deploy?
The paramedics arrive within minutes, and at this point I get out of my car and head over to the young girls car to check on her. She's really shook up, but it appeared she was not hurt. I notice a cross around her neck, and remember thinking she thinks strongly enough about GOD to wear a cross. Then I think about yelling at her, and feeling really embarrassed about doing such a mean thing.
The paramedics ask me if I'm OK. I say, "I think so." One of them I knew from a past fund raiser I hosted after the tornado. He remarks, "I wonder why your air bags didn't deploy?" I keep looking at my car, oh my my.
A man walks over to me and says, "I was behind you, and saw the whole thing". He tells me the young girl ran the stop sign, and was busy talking on her cell phone.
I hate cell phones, then I think, but I wish I had one now, and I would call my family to let them know what has happened. I posted about the cell phone thoughts in another post. It's very unusual, I know, but I don't have a cell phone. Patrick and Lennis both have one, but I choose to not.
I walk over to the young girl again and apologize for yelling at her. I'm beginning to come back around, and thinking how lucky I was to be walking around.
The police officer arrives, and the paramedics push my car backwards down the hill out of the middle of the street.
The police officer fills out his report, and issues the young girl a ticket. She's still crying. The police officer says, "I wonder why your air bags didn't deploy?" My neck is hurting more.
The tow truck arrives and says, "why didn't your air bags deploy"? He lifts my car up to carry to the repair shop. The girls Father arrives, she's still crying. The business office worker across the street are standing outside watching everything. I hear four little school boys talking amongst themselves, "did you hear that crash"? "That was the biggest crash I've ever heard and seen"!
The tow truck driver asks if I need a ride, and well, I guess I do. I was even considering walking home, it was only around ten blocks. Then I'm thinking someone will come by I know, and I'll get a ride. About that time, my friend Sandy drove by. She had just stopped by my house and spoke with Lennis, and asked if I was OK, she hadn't talked to me and was concerned. Sandy was on her way to the auction house when she drove by the wreck, which by the way, that's where I was heading too when I was hit.
So many thoughts... So many emotions...Just 5 seconds..... Why didn't I wait just five seconds?
I've never had a wreck before. I consider myself to be a good driver. I'm always watching out for the other guy!
Sandy gives me a ride to the car shop, and I fill out the paper work for a rental. The lady asked, do you want a silver Taurus or a white one, I say, neither. She looks at me odd. "I'll take the silver", I say, "it's the same color as my car. I'm thinking to myself, I want my car! My little car that I've had for five years that only has twenty-seven thousand miles on it that is energy efficient.
I'm very very very thankful that I am alright. I thank GOD for allowing both myself and the young girl for being OK.
I get into the rental and drive home. Lennis is out working in the yard as I pull into the driveway. He doesn't even notice I'm in a different car, same color remember?
I tell him about the accident, he's freaked. I go inside and take an aspirin because my neck hurts.
I think, if only 5 seconds......
Enjoy a caring and sharing day.
Happily,
Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)
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