Impact!

Today started out like any day really. John headed out for a run while I took Thomas to jump with the Madeline and Lauren in gymnastics, and then I came home and turned Thomas over to John for my own run. Usually I take Thomas to the store with me for an outing, but today I decided to enjoy myself a bit and go without him, which seeing that it was Festival of Food celebration (aka cheap people feeding frenzy at food tasting booths) at Haggen, it would have been a nightmare to take Thomas anyway. On the way home, I had no idea just how blessed we were that Thomas stayed home.

Two block away from my house I could see down the road towards the neighborhood school that we pass almost everyday. I also caught a glimpse of a car approaching the road coming up to the stop sign. In a heartbeat I saw her look the other way, but not stopping, and in my heart I knew she was not going to stop. I had a moment of gut wrenching insight, and I gripped the steering wheel, pressed on the gas, and stared straight ahead, as if willing my car to fly down the street and avoid impact. I also realize I didn't want to look at the car as it was hitting me, and I didn't want that vision in my head for the rest of my life. I think I also hoped that somehow it was all a mistake, that I wasn't seeing what I thought I was seeing, and hoping that if I sped up and she slammed on her brakes at the last minute, somehow impact would not occur and I could continue on my merry way home for my special lunch and Seahawks kickoff.

As she slammed into me, and as my car suddenly had a life of it's own, I frantically tried to remember what I should do. Unfortunately, I had but a moment before I could see that my car was careening towards the Munch/Firs house, that I was now turning into a wide circle and that the house was quickly approaching my out of control car. Now that would have seriously cut into their asking price for the sale of the house, wouldn't it! I was still gripping the steering wheel, which was no good at working at that point, and realized that I may want to try the breaks.
I finally came to a stop, completely turned in the opposite direction of travel than I'd originally been. I remember a carbon copy of my mother's famous line, "oh Jesus, Jesus" and then realizing I was okay and unhurt, I started to shake and cry like a baby. I can work with a hardened criminal, but give me an out of control vehicle and the thought of flying into a house, and I turn into a sniveling, dripping wet dish rag!

Thanks God for Lance, who took my cell phone call. I knew John was two blocks away, but I couldn't reach him, didn't have my cell phone and only knew Lance and Jenny's by heart. Soon John was on the scene and took over helping me recover my adrenaline decimated brain cells. My concern at this point was the groceries in the trunk and the Seahawks kickoff looming near. I sent John home to relieve Lance of Thomas duty and to watch the game, knowing it could possibly be awhile before the sheriff's office could get a deputy out to us. Luckily, it all happened pretty quickly. I was absolved of any guilt for the accident, reported my stiffening neck, and a ticket for failing to yield ($150.00 fine) was given out to the other driver. Despite a jammed seatbelt, inability to get in either door on the driver's side, coffee dripping all over the interior (somehow the Starbucks mug flew around and didn't shatter as it hit the window. Half a mug of coffee and cream is all over the interior, though) and a blown airbag, I was able to drive the piece of junk home.

John quickly unloaded the groceries and we settled in to watch the Hawks play, welcoming a little quiet time while Thomas slept. Only as the afternoon progressed did we talk about how things could have been drastically different, how blessed I truly was to be unhurt, except for a slight skin burn from the airbag and a stiff neck and shoulder. If I have to be in an accident, it's better to happen like this, where the only thing a mess is my car. I doubt the Seahawks would have been featured in the Bellingham ER, or nearly as important!