By Pritha Lal, Springville, Utah
The nice police officer handed me the broken light from my car. It was intact, not a crack or a scratch on its shiny glassy surface. The red glass always looked pretty on my little bug and someohow holding that tail light in my hand, was a reaffirmation of what happened yesterday morning, or better yet, what could have happened. I brought the light home, cleaned it up with a Lysol wipe and placed it gently by the floor lamp in my study. It probably doesn't go with the rest of the eclectic decor in the room but it will remain a stark reminder of a morning that began normally as any other, could have ended very abnormally, but did throw me a certain curveball.
The sudden spring snow in Utah can render vehicles to skid on the road and one such did and hit my car from the right, and the chain reaction continued onto the next lane and then into the oncoming traffic. 4 cars on State Street in Orem could have been totaled, the drivers could have been in a different place and yet maybe just maybe Someone was watching over us all and there was no ambulance required.
Strangely as I look back in hindsight, the adrenalin, some very kind prayers of loved ones in my life and maybe a very good driving school instructor enabled me to stay in control of what happened in a matter of a few seconds, but being able to see the whole thing in slow motion, brace myself for each impact was kinda surreal. The rest of the day was spent in going thru paperwork, recording depositions with claim agents, some good soy latte from Starbucks, a whiplash check up, getting a rental PT Cruiser, a very wonderful massage, texts emails and phonecalls from family and friends and a state of partial denial of what happened and what could have been.
Today as the adrenalin rush is wearing out and the anti inflammatories are kicking in, so is the mental and physical soreness. As I drove into work today, I didn't have Pooh, Raccoon and Monkey in my car (they are the little soft toys that stay in my BUG).. this is a rental, I thought, why would I bring all that baggage in...but there was only one thing I did hang on my rear view mirror.. and it is the same ornament that hangs on my Beetle's mirror.
A beautiful wooden rosary from the Shrine of Guadalupe in Mexico and if you have been to the shrine, you will never forget these words that are inscribed outside the new Cathedral..
The sudden spring snow in Utah can render vehicles to skid on the road and one such did and hit my car from the right, and the chain reaction continued onto the next lane and then into the oncoming traffic. 4 cars on State Street in Orem could have been totaled, the drivers could have been in a different place and yet maybe just maybe Someone was watching over us all and there was no ambulance required.
Strangely as I look back in hindsight, the adrenalin, some very kind prayers of loved ones in my life and maybe a very good driving school instructor enabled me to stay in control of what happened in a matter of a few seconds, but being able to see the whole thing in slow motion, brace myself for each impact was kinda surreal. The rest of the day was spent in going thru paperwork, recording depositions with claim agents, some good soy latte from Starbucks, a whiplash check up, getting a rental PT Cruiser, a very wonderful massage, texts emails and phonecalls from family and friends and a state of partial denial of what happened and what could have been.
Today as the adrenalin rush is wearing out and the anti inflammatories are kicking in, so is the mental and physical soreness. As I drove into work today, I didn't have Pooh, Raccoon and Monkey in my car (they are the little soft toys that stay in my BUG).. this is a rental, I thought, why would I bring all that baggage in...but there was only one thing I did hang on my rear view mirror.. and it is the same ornament that hangs on my Beetle's mirror.
A beautiful wooden rosary from the Shrine of Guadalupe in Mexico and if you have been to the shrine, you will never forget these words that are inscribed outside the new Cathedral..
No estoy yo aquí, que soy tu madre?
Meaning.. “Am I not here, who am your Mother?"
Though provoking
ReplyDeleteNice
ReplyDeleteVery nice, Pritha.........
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