It's utterly amazing how the events of a single moment in time can have repercussions that resonate far beyond.
Pythagorus was in a car accident yesterday (don't worry, he's okay). He was taking his car to the mechanic during his lunch break (I swear this is true) and he was stopped at a traffic light when a woman in the car behind him evidently didn't notice that the light was red and slammed into him going pretty fast. His car knocked into a curb then ricocheted into oncoming traffic (which fortunately managed not to hit him).
He called 911 and was told that they didn't have anyone available to send to the scene of the accident. Pythagorus pointed out that he could see a police officer sitting in his cruiser right in the parking lot of the pharmacy this happened right in front of. He was informed that "that officer is on speeding duty ... but I can try to find someone if you think it's really necessary." Yeah, surreal.
Anyway, it was clearly the other driver's fault, she had car insurance (believe it or not, this is often a problem with automobile accidents in New Hampshire--our state motto isn't "Live free or die" for nothing), and honestly the VW could use an overhaul (or a replacement, if it's considered totaled). Also, we have a PT Cruiser rental car for the duration, so that's a little bit of fun.
Pythagorus was a bit shaken up yesterday, but he didn't seem to be hurt (I suggested he go to the doctor anyway just to be safe, but I'm evidently not that smart). He woke up this morning with his neck so sore he could barely turn his head. Like a lot of men (overly generalized, I know, but it's still true based on my experience), Pythagorus is kind of a baby when he's sick and/or injured. When I have a cold, for example, I manage to make it through a day of work without the benefit of orange juice and chicken soup : ). In his defense, though, the doctor said it was a pretty bad case of whiplash, and they did a bunch of x-rays just in case (everything looked fine) and gave him muscle relaxants and vicodin and the usual happy drugs they give to people in pain (the down side of all this at the moment is that he has fallen quite deeply asleep diagonally, so I think I'll be couching it or sleeping on the floor tonight).
What I can't stop thinking about, though, is how much worse it could have been. Nobody plans to be in a car accident, but in the blink of an eye, there you are. One minute you're driving along in the safety of your car (because I further realized that I tend to think of cars as safe zones--I think this is connected to my fear of thunderstorms ...) and the next, your car is no longer drivable. One split second, when you take your eye off the road because you're reading a text message or you dropped your cell phone under the brake (I manage to do this more than you might imagine possible) or the ketchup in your cheeseburger drips onto your pants or you're rummaging in the glove compartment for a tissue, or ... well, you get the idea.
It's scary to think of the potential of "in the blink of an eye" moments. Pythagorus was very lucky ... but a lot of people aren't.
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This scares me more than anything in the world. Not with regard to me, but with regard to people I love. As you know, two of our friends had similar incidents this year...one paralyzed three weeks after his wedding, and one gone forever in her own driveway. Both single car accidents, and neither considered the "fault" of the driver. They were just terrible accidents. The randomness of such events terrifies me. I'm so glad he's okay.
ReplyDeleteGlad he's okay...I was hit from behind a few years ago...it took me a long time before I relaxed again behind the wheel...I found myself constantly checking my rear view mirror. Hope the insurance covers it all...and that his whiplash subsides soon!!! ~Janine XO
ReplyDeleteThat's what scares me about my man riding his motorcycle. He always teases me when I ask him to call when he arrives home. It's because I need to know that he GOT home. He lives 20+ miles away so I don't think it's paranoia.
ReplyDeleteGlad that he is going to be okay! You are so right, in a split second it can all change. I know I don't stop and think of that very often. Good luck with sleeping diagonally tonight, with any luck he won't be the only one with a stiff neck :) But at least he can share his drugs!!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right. In our fast paced world, we often forget how transient life really can be. I am so thankful that he is okay.
ReplyDeleteI love reading your blog for my tidbits of wisdom :)
Glad the car was the only thing banged up! Youngest son had a terrible accident not too long ago, airborne, flippity do dah, but walked away without a scratch, thankfully.
ReplyDeleteI am so happy it turned out okay. Yes, these moments are incredibly scary!
ReplyDeleteI am too very happy that he is ok. We need to ready for unexpected. That is life.
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you always,
Glad he's okay. Thats really stupid about the police though. I would have been pretty irate if somebody told me something like that when I'm calling 911.
ReplyDeleteGlad he's ok. The cop being on speeding duty... That just amazes me.
ReplyDeleteAnd you're right... I fell on the Brooklyn Bridge in the 80's. (Truthfully) It was an 18 foot drop on my head resulting in severe neck pain but thankfully nothing else. I was back to work in 5 days. No problem. When I have the flu, I'm a big baby. lol
ReplyDeleteIf there was ever a species where the man gave birth, they would be extinct.
Ooooh, the sexism on here!
ReplyDeleteWhat about the women who won't touch a spider or an insect and want the 'man' to sort it out!
Aside from that, things can change for the better or for the worse very quickly, though we do (as a species) have a seemingly innate propensity for focusing on the worse moments. How many times have our lives been changed for the better in the blink of an eye?...when I think of one I'll let you know.
I was hit by a mack truck last april on 495. He pushed my car down the highway for 1/4 of a mile. I was literally a hood ornament and could do nothing but watch out the passenger window while he pushed me. It was so frightening. My car was totaled, of course it was totally paid for and gas was like 4 dollars a gallon, I couldn't find a used car to save my life, so I ended up buying new. So annoying. It makes me a bit angry to hear about how the cop was sitting in the parking lot didn't come over, so strange, even if he was on speed duty, he was close enough to come over. I'd put in a formal complaint about that. Pain usually settles in the next day, in my case I was sore later on that night but the real issues didn't start showing up until 3 days after my accident and I had to go to PT for about 5 months. Not fun!
ReplyDeleteI also had to attend counseling because driving was no longer easy for me to do and with a 2 hour roundtrip commute everyday for work, I needed to be on the road.
It really can happen in a blink of an eye.
Oh my gosh, that's so scary. You're right; life can change that quick.
ReplyDeleteI CANNOT believe the stupidity of the 911 lady. Speeding duty? (can you hear me shrieking here?) That is the most ridiculous thing. He could've been badly hurt and not known it. Sheesh.
I'm so glad he's mostly okay though. :_)
Glad he's ok--that sounds so scary!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that he is okay, and everything turned out okay. I was once hit from behind while driving a huge 10 passenger van when I was working for a tour company (luckily no other passengers were aboard) and my neck ached terribly the next day from the whiplash, so I can only imagine the pain he was in.
ReplyDeletethanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteAs a surgeon who has taken her fair share of trauma call, I have some seen some really bizarre stuff. I learned early on that we are not in control of our lives as much as we like to think we are. You could be sitting on a bus bench and get plowed down. Walking across the street and get hit by a car going 100mph and you had no time to react. Eat some ill-prepared food in a restaurant and become very sick. Be in class and have a brain aneurysm you didn't know you had in your brain suddenly explode, turning you into a vegetable.
ReplyDeleteEvery moment of every day, we walk the knife's edge between this world and the next. And there isn't a damn thing we can do about it.
accidents are scarey. the boyfriend and i were in his car when a car plowed into us. we called the cops. the guy tried to tell them that he was diabetic and needed his meds. but, turns out he was just really drunk. he had hit two garages before us.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad he's okay.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what genre you write, but I'm holding a writing contest on my blog today. Check it out.
Lynnette Labelle
http://lynnettelabelle.blogspot.com
I was just recently in a small accident (someone pulled out in front of me), and it really rattles you. My neck was sore too. I went to the chiropractor 3x a week for 2 1/2 weeks...my neck was sore forever.
ReplyDeleteGlad he was ok...so scary.