Waking Up

Matt Nathanson may have said it so exactly… “I want to let go and know that I’ll be alright” – how ironic that one of my favorite songs happens to be the one titled Car Crash.

Until yesterday, I had never even been in a car accident. A 17-year old turned left nearly five seconds prior to my arriving at that part of the street. She didn’t speed up, nor did she slow down as her tank of a minivan crept closer to my face. I slammed on my breaks, but realized there wasn’t enough time… we were going to crash. Somewhere in the madness before total impact, I had the sense to pull my emergency brake. While it didn’t completely matter, I’m almost positive it saved a few extra thousands of dollars in damage to my car.

So many people say their life flashes before their eyes before something like that happens. I don’t remember having even a moment to reflect on something so out-of-body. I just remember feeling my entire body shake and my neck tense up. I felt a sheet-like substance slip across my face, and I realized the airbag had deployed. I was in shock, and my first reaction was to look at the other car. Did the person pull over? Is anyone hurt? “Ok, yes, she is pulled over,” was the thought running through my head. I called 9-1-1… something I haven’t done since someone tried to drunkenly break into our home last year. It was so strange – and I kept thinking I would wake up from this nightmare. Thankfully, everyone was fine. My dog (Tyra) was shaking in the backseat, and I remember feeling so guilty that she had just been involved. So everyone/thing wasn’t hurt… except for my car:

So the girl who hit me clearly felt bad… and admitted guilt. I think I was more shocked that she didn’t have her license with her. I mean, I remember feeling like one of the most important things in my wallet at that age was a Driver’s License that proved I was “old/qualified” enough to drive! However, what I found most shocking was that the woman who saw the accident didn’t even stop. She drove past us like we were ruining her Saturday. What happened to people helping people? I’ve stopped for three major accidents in my lifetime to help those involved. Usually, I’m the only one that does stop. Was this a test of my own humanity now that I was on the other side of that coin? It was so disappointing.

Waking up this morning felt exhausting, but I was happy to be mobile and with my family. While I wish that our parents and siblings were nearby, I appreciate my support system here in Oregon. We are lucky to have each other, and difficult situations always puts things into perspective. My goal for the week is to put my frustration aside and just accept that sometimes bad things happen – thanks to my sister for helping me reflect

About these ads