From Happy to Paranoid Back to Blessed!

I never used to be paranoid.  Now I am.  I'm only paranoid when in a car.  I have always felt in control and I'm proud to say that my driving record is stellar.  I had only been in one accident and it wasn't my fault. I was rear-ended just sitting waiting for a stop light one rainy night as I took my daughter to basketball practice.  It only caused $500 worth of damage and you could barely see it.  That all changed on my way to pick up my daughter from college in early May.......

I couldn't have been more excited.  It was a Tuesday morning and it was me and my Yukon.  That's it.  All I had in my Yukon was me, a dolly and my suitcase.  My husband had even taken out the back row of seats so that I could load up my Yukon with all of my daughter's things from her dorm room.  I kissed my girls good bye as I loaded them on the school bus and I drove away.  I am known in my family for only allowing my children (and husband) only a Dixie cup size of liquid the morning of long trips but it was only me.  So I grabbed a couple water bottles and started my nine hour drive.  

I drove and sang my favorite tune and drove some more.  I drove about five hours and didn't need to stop for gas or other bodily reasons, so I continued.  All of a sudden, I arrived almost five miles from my daughter's dorm at a stop light.  It had been raining slightly, but my nine 8-9 hour trip (depending on stops) only took 7 1/2 hours with no stops.  I was thrilled.  I called my daughter and told her I was almost there.  As I got off the phone, I waited for the light to turn green and then I heard a loud noise.  I couldn't place it.  I looked in my rear view mirror.  I still couldn't figure out what it was but it filled my mirror.  I turned to look to see what it was and BOOM!  It hit!  It still didn't register what hit me but something did.  It bounced off me and then drove away.

It really didn't drive away come to find out.  It moved out of traffic.  Then I realized that a semi had hit me.  So I sat stunned.  I was fine.  I did not hit the small sports type car in front of me, but the kind woman got out and asked if I was OK.  So I got out of my vehicle.  I was nervous getting out as I had tweaked my back the night before picking up a pillow and didn't know if the impact had made it worse, but all was good.  

The driver of the semi (or cab) came running towards me in the rain.  I asked if he had called police.  He hadn't, so I did.  They asked where I was.  Of course, I had no idea as I wasn't from Texas.  I then looked my vehicle and it was munched in like a squashed cracker.  The taillights were hanging out but I remember thinking it wasn't as bad as I thought after having a semi (or the cab of a semi) hit me.

In the end, the cab lost control and tried to stop on the rainy roads but couldn't stop.  His cab did a 180 and the back of his vehicle hit mine where the license plate is located, which was a huge blessing.  It did cause thousands of dollars of damage.  However, it was drivable.  I was able to drive my vehicle home. I couldn't open the trunk so I loaded my daughter's things through the side doors, which was a challenge but I did it.  I was thankful I was in my Yukon and not my Beetle Bug.  I would have had a totally different end result.  

So today I sit thankful for the small things and excited that today is the day I get my car back.  It's been in the repair shop for almost a month.  They tell me today is the day.  I hope it is.  I am a little cautious and paranoid when I drive.  I always checked my mirrors, but now I check them constantly.  I can only control my behavior, but it does make you more aware of what's going on around you and how life can change in an instant.  Be thankful for today and enjoy everyone everyday!