August 20, 2003

• I was in a car smash this morning

  
  

  

  
  

  obviously it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.
  still, it left me rather shaken.  a little shocky even.
  I had just dropped Em off at drama camp and was heading to the mall to get Dylan some vans for school.  I was thinking how long it had been since we’d been there…not going as fast as I probably would have normally…pacing with the car in the left hand lane…probaby, unfortunately, in their blind spot…but at least I wasn’t going as fast as I could have been.  they chose that moment to try to make a right turn out of the left lane.  I slammed the brakes, but hit them pretty hard anyway.  in the back of my head:  I could go up on the sidewalk, but I don’t have time to look for people.  it turned out there was no one there, but you never know. 

  
  

  the truck behind me didn’t cream me.  that was a plus.  in addition, they pulled over and gave me their info as witnesses.  really damned nice of them. 

  
  

  the two boys/men (??) in the brown chevy caprice that I hit looked so upset and grim, I immediately said, “things like this happen all the time, there’s no need for anyone to be upset or angry,” and gave them my big housewife/mommy smile.  I swear, at the time, I was so worried about them, I didn’t have room to think about me.  I mean SHIT…  I’m Kathy Bates in fried green tomatos, right?  I’m old and have insurance.  they’re fucked.

  
  

  so we waited, cops, blah blah blah, trip to the insurance agent (closer to go there than to go home and phone them), drop the boy off at the theatre…  then I got all boo hooey.

  
  

  I’m thinking, WHAT A FUCKING WEEK, eh?  my whole week has been a wank, right?  this actually lends some focus to the negativity… and really, that focus is quite welcome.

  
  

  know something?  not only do I know why this happened, but I knew it was coming.  scoff if you will, but here’s my reasoning:

  
  

  I like to think I’m not judgemental.  one of my pets peeves is self-righteousness.  I was just going off about it YESTERDAY.  AND YET, the one pocket of smugness I am aware of in myself:  I look at someone’s smashed up car and think, “ooo, don’t park next to him, he obviously doesn’t know how to drive”  or “geez, why don’t they get that fixed??”  now here I am having to make left turn hand signals and seeing EVERY driver I pass LOOK at me! 

  
  

  and the foreshadowing:  a few days ago, on the freeway, a black accord did the SAME thing at high speed…zipped up from behind me in the left lane AND ZOOMED onto the offramp right in front of me.  I kept asking the man:  why did he do that????  and he was all “why are you asking me?”    then yesterday on the way home, I was following a motorcycle cop, thinking, MAN I would like to see one of those up close.  who comes to take the report?  yep, motorcycle cop.

  
  

  so after the realization of all that, I was pretty glad it wasn’t worse.   that brush with the accord probably reduced my karmic debt.  I was so lucky it wasn’t worse.

  
  

  and I’m thinking, as I pull into the driveway, yeah but SHIT, what a CRAP week/day!!  did I mention babyjane crapped her pants at the autobody shop?  SO…I turn off the car, look down at the odometer and see THIS:

  
  

  

  
  

  SHIT, maybe minivans ARE the debil.
  shivvvvvvvvvvvver.

  
  

  (went in to get the camera…batteries dead…no problem, I’ve got spares…only three, I need four.  I had to take one out of my vibrator.  I leave it to YOU to decide what the REAL tragedy is here…)

  • 4:35 pm
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