Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Traumatic Experience

(Still feeling off tonight, but doing better than last night. I think. Thanks for the well wishes.)

Today's prompt was about traumatic experiences. I admit, I've never been through anything really crazy, what I think might be deemed a TRUE traumatic experience, but, this is as close as I can get:

It was early summer 2001, and I was on my way to work -- it was a nice day, I had packed a yummy lunch, and I had the radio going. I'm driving down the highway, not so cool in my 4-door Cavalier, but, it was mine, and it had yet to fail me in any big way (and it had been paid off for a few years, too), and I see some traffic stopped up ahead, I think because of construction.

So, I started to slow down around a curve, and I glance in my rearview mirror to see this van barreling down behind me, and I panic for a moment, until I see him swerve into the next lane at his speed. I sighed in relief, relaxed, and then glanced in my mirror again. For the brief second it took me to understand what was about to happen, this went through my mind: Oh, so there was a truck going equally as fast behind that van, but he DIDN't have time to get out of the way, so--

CRASH. CRUNCH.

I was tossed about, as much as I could be, while being restrained in a car that just got rear-ended by a Ford F350 Truck and pushed into the Ford F150 in front of me.

Things fell: my rearview mirror; my fuzzy dice (which actually had the string brake); my stereo popped out of the console and onto the floor.

My body was tingling all over, and it almost felt like I couldn't feel my body, but I could, if that makes sense.

People got out from the truck in front of me and asked me if I was okay. And then I started bawling.

The rest I don't remember well, except when the cop shows up, and most of my crying is done, although, I'm still kinda sniffling. He asks me if I'm okay, and I tell him that I think I am. He looks at me and points at my shirt. "Looks like you've got some blood there." I look down, then back and him, and go (a little whiny), "No, that's my lipstick." And we both chuckle a little. (Really, you should hear me tell this, because it's actually somewhat amusing.) So, yeah, apparently, me chest/shirt had come up enough, and/or my face had come down enough, or both, so hat my lips smeared my shirt. Lovely.

So the cop tries to get me out of the car, but the driver's side door won't open. So, they had to open my back door on the driver's side, so they could get my door open and out.

Once out, I feel okay, and I look at my car. It's like an accordion. It's crunched up on both sides. *sigh*

Long story, short, my car was totaled. I only made out with a sprained toe (I was wearing sandals). Oh, and countless of large, nasty bruises from the seat belt. But, nothing else. Not even whip lash. Apparently, it's because I was relaxed at the time of impact. I didn't have a moment to tense up when I noticed the second car. Crazy, eh?

So, the moral of this story is: when you're about to get into an accident, relax! It'll save you loads of pain later. Yeah, easier said than done, eh?

And THAT is my traumatic experience.


2 comments:

Charles Gramlich November 9, 2011 at 8:26 AM  

I remember hearing the squeal of the brake behind me when the truck hit me from behind on my motorcycle. All I had time to do was tense up.

Erika November 9, 2011 at 8:51 AM  

Car crashes are traumatic enough. No need to seek anything to top it.

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