Heading to work this morning and just thinking of " Hey its Friday " when this happens. ...
You (and everyone else) are lucky to be alive.
Cars, trucks and material items can be fixed or replaced. Thank god you weren't hurt,
and it seems like the driver who went airborne will probably come out of it OK... although she may be bruised, have whiplash and/or other issues, at least she'll live, and it sounds like her prospects for a normal or fairly normal life are good.
This post reminds me of just how fragile life is.
I had a very serious motorcycle accident in my mid-twenties (21 yrs ago). I was badly hurt, hospitalized for five days, had surgery twice, could hardly walk for months, and was home on disability for 6 months, where all I could do was walk slowly, a very little bit at a time, and watch life pass by as I had 6 months to do nothing but take in my surroundings and reflect on life, almost as if I were a passive observer (**see footnote for slight disclaimer)...
and guess what???
It was the best thing that ever happened to me!!!
Seriously. It made me appreciate how truly lucky I am to be alive, and to have the basics such as food and shelter... (also I had a close to 100% recovery... although it was a slow process that unfolded over two to three years).
Now, when I get stuck in a commuter traffic jam... It's no big deal (usually). I look at the stressed faces around me, and realize how lucky I am to be alive, so I breath deeply, kick on the stereo, relax and enjoy the moment.
When I finally recovered, I sold my new, but modest, economy sedan, and bought a used 6 or 7 yr old 2 seat convertible (mazda RX7 convertible) where I had the same monthly payments, then when I hit traffic jams, if the weather permitted, I would put the top down, turn on some soothing music (usually jazz) leave the car in second gear, leave some extra space in front of me (so that I wasn't on & off the gas & brakes, and constantly changing gears), and tried to move at a steady pace -- whatever speed traffic would allow, using mostly just the gas peddle to speed up or slow down.
Even now, if some one wants to cut in front of me... no problem, I give them the space and let them move over... If they make 20 or 30 more lane changes like that on the way home, how much time do you really think they'll save... two or three minutes... maybe four?
Breath, take in what's good around you, and truly learn to enjoy the moment.
Sometimes it takes a seriously close call or near death experience to make us realize how truly blessed we all are. My last 20+ years have been so much more rewarding due to my near-death motorcycle accident so many years ago (and I am SOOO thankful to have had an excellent recovery, rather than having lost a limb, or been in wheel chair, or paralyzed from a broken neck, or simply dead -- although many people have survived and gone on with that or worse...).
(** Footnote:
I have to admit, that I got hurt in the Spring, and I was fortunate enough to be able to observe life from the Spring through the Fall from the deck of a family vacation home overlooking nature and a scenic lake... so the surroundings were beautiful and very restorative, even though all I could do was limp to the deck, sit down and take it all in, napping occasionally. I wasn't well enough to do anything... I couldn't walk, couldn't handle the steps down to the water's edge, so I couldn't wade in the water, or get into or out of small boat -- like a row boat or canoe, or even fish from the shore. -- I know, you're probably thinking, how sad... ;-)
I simply sat, and observed life for six months while I healed...
**)
... but even without being so blessed as to have such a pleasant place to recover... just having the time to essentially stop my life and reflect on being alive, and what REALLY maters, vs. what can SEEM so important at times but really isn't -- was truly life changing. It changed me forever, and for the better.)
Life is good. :tea:
Best to everyone, and thank god you're alive [MENTION=81654]Hybryd40[/MENTION] .
