I've been away for a while, but luckily I haven't gone forever. I had a scare today though since I got in an accident and totaled my car, so let's take a minute to realize how fragile life is. The seemingly solid line between life and death can disappear in the blink of an eye.
Let me paint you a picture: It's 7:30 AM and I've been driving for 30 minutes. I've made it halfway to work with no icy issues when I switch onto another highway. I'm only on this highway for a few miles, but this is unfortunately in a city which refuses to salt this highway for budgetary reasons. Pretty dumb, eh? Of all things to cut...Anyways, I was on this highway and I tried to slow down to get off at my exit. From the second I hit my brakes my car started sliding. I checked the left lane and switched when I saw it was clear. Unfortunately I hit a patch of ice when I was straightening out my wheel and I slid into the lane next to me, perpendicular to another car. This car bumped the back of my car, sending me careening into the car in front of us. Hitting this car send me spinning more into a ditch. This all happened in what felt like 10 minutes but was most likely around 60 seconds. I had been talking to my friend on the phone and she said there was about a 3 second gap between me saying "Oh crap" and me screaming bloody murder. The blink of an eye. That's all it takes. I encourage you to remember that. I realize that it's really difficult to live each day like it's your last-or your loved one's last, or that it would be really awkward to always tell people how you feel about them (hopefully good things), but try. My friend called back earlier and said, "Kate, I didn't know what to do. I heard you say 'Oh crap', then 3 seconds of silence, and then I just heard screaming. When you picked the phone back up I didn't know what to say. I wanted to shout 'I love you!' before you hung up, but I thought that would be weird." I told her that if she said that to me, I probably wouldn't have known what to say because I was in shock, but the more I think about it now, the bigger smile I get. A moment's worth of awkwardness is worth letting someone know how much they mean to you. I also want to tell you how important it is to remain calm, laid back, and remember what's important in life. Again, easier said than done, but after my dad picked me up and saw my car he clapped me on the shoulder and said, "Crap happens. I'm glad you're okay." When he looked at me, tears in my eyes, I said, "But my car isn't. I don't have a car anymore." He said very simply, "You can replace a car but you can't replace people. It'll be okay." And that was it. A simple reminder that people are above all the most important things in our lives. Those are my words of wisdom for the day. Carpe diem!
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