Last night we experienced a traumatic event that could have turned out a lot worse than it did. It’s got us thinking about how much opportunity for gratitude we have in our lives and the messages that this event is sending us. Walking away from a situation that could have killed us is frightening, humbling and jolting.
(We didn't take any photos and all of the photos are from Pixabay)
The previous day we spent a lovely and uncharacteristic evening in the city. Some friends of ours were hosting a listening party at a small indie bookstore so we made a night of it.
Wren had a build your own pizza joint up her sleeve that serves gluten free sweet potato pizza. We rarely go out to eat and thought this would be the perfect night for a nice meal out before the show.
The pizza was divine! I can’t recall the last time I left a restaurant this satisfied. We found a real winner in the BYOP (build-your-own-pizza) restaurant.
The show was a great mix of creative talent, culminating in the songs written and performed by a dear friend of ours (Wren took a lot of footage and may make a compilation video). All in all the event was a success. A bookstore with strange art everywhere as an acoustic music venue proved to be a perfectly intimate space.
The night was filled with rain, lots of it! It came down in sheets, puddled on the streets and made us humans duck and run for cover.
We braved the rain and headed back to a friend’s place to continue the night, jam a little and spend more time in togetherness. We enjoyed a warm shower, dried off and enjoyed the late hours of the evening. We had the urge to sleep in our own beds and start the day fresh from home, so we opted for the 1.5 hour drive home. Our friends encouraged us to stay, but we thought of how much more comfortable we’d be at home. So we set off into the night, slowly forging our way home.
During the drive I prayed for protection and asked for support. To everything and no one in particular, I asked for a safe journey home. About halfway I started to get a little sleepy. I did some intense breathing in hopes of waking up. Here’s my first mistake.
As soon as I noticed myself becoming drowsy, I should have pulled over. I’ve driven through the night many times, and we have gone through so many more difficult journeys on the road. I though I could handle this one. I should have listened to the first inklings of sleep.
Then sleep took over and changed our course.
We both awoke to a horrible sight as the the car careened off the road with great momentum. That brief moment when I nodded off sent the car across the highway and off the road as we kept up speed and raced through a ditch laced with Ozark bedrock.
It all happened in such a blur, I can scarcely remember it. The slide, the brief panic, the settling of the car…. Stillness. I looked over to see if Wren was ok, relieved to see that she was. We were OK, no damage to our persons.
I gingerly tried nudging the car through the deep slick mud when the oil light came on and the engine died. We weren’t getting out of here alone and it was hours before dawn.
A series of shock filled curses offered a prelude to the deep and abiding gratitude at our lack of injuries and impact. This could have been really bad, I said. I wept as I entertained all the horrible thoughts of how I endangered the most important person in my life. I wept for the outcome that didn’t unfold, and for the position of relative safety we found ourselves in.
After contacting our insurance company to send roadside assistance, we played the waiting game. As the first rays of dawn crept into view the initial shock began wearing off. We were OK and things were under control. PHEW. Deep Breath.
The magnitude of what occurred didn’t reveal itself until later when we walked back to the tracks we had made. We didn't take any pictures as I think honestly we didn't want any photo proof. The close call was seared in our minds anyway.
The protection and guidance bestowed on us was obvious.
For starters, on the side of the road we were driving on (recall that we crossed the road and ended up on the other side) had a 5 foot rock outcropping that would most likely have totaled our vehicle, perhaps severely injuring us.
Where I veered off was a carved-out gully eroded from heavy rains about 1.5 feet deep and wide. The car somehow managed to straddle the gulley after we initially went off the road.
The next thing was even more incredible. As we retraced the tire marks and saw oil exploded and leaked everywhere, we noticed we had gone through the gulley for about 30 ft. Just as the gulley made a sharp curve to the left, somehow the car went right and missed a road sign by 1 ft. The car weaved past the road sign, spun 180 and came to a rest in the grass facing backwards.
Our tracks were no more than a foot away from street pole sign.
That fact landed hard in me. I could have gotten us killed. Somehow the car avoided contact with the pole, and I believe there were helpers watching over us in the instance. When we analyzed the tracks, we were headed straight for the pole. In a daze, as I awoke suddenly and tried to regain control, the pole passed us by without a second thought.
Scouting the rest of the highway I noted that many other places were much more hazardous. In some blessed turn of events, we walked away from a potentially deadly incidence without even a scratch. If we would have gone off the road sooner or later there were multiple rock outcroppings, more signs, possible cars also on the road, not to mention steep slopes that could've led to our greater demise.
The tow truck came and took us to a mechanic’s shop that was opening in an hour. The guys and the shop checked out the car and figured that miraculously the only things that needed work was replacing an oil pan, bending back the rim and replacing the tire- the sidewall had burst upon impact.
The story continues...
At the auto body shop, a kind man struck up a conversation with us on alternative lifestyles, hemp, religion/spirituality and the constitution/laws. He was obviously very open minded and immediately offered us a ride home when he heard of our situation- which rerouted his day around 2 hours and would make him late to work . We just met this guy and he had to work today, but still he offered the 45 minute ride joyfully. His willingness to help inspired us. He said something I have heard many times before, but it hit home in a new way today through his active example of selflessness and generosity. This guy was truly an angel for us.
We are all spiritual beings having a human experience.
We were so grateful for him rerouting his day to take us all the way home. When we expressed this, he just said Pay It Forward...
Sometimes events happen that shock you back into your life more. Wren & I both live very fully and are putting our entire selves into manifesting our dreams, but we can always grow and are open to learning and changing. This event will take some time to settle and yet even this soon afterwards, there is a feeling of being so ultimately grateful. We are home safely. Our shock was minimal. The damage to our car was minimal. And, again,
We are okay and we didn't hurt anyone else.
Health is something that is hard to get back. A quick google search for the stat reveals the known occurrences of people driving off the road or getting into accidents from falling asleep at...
An estimated 1 in 25 adult drivers (aged 18 years or older) report having fallen asleep while driving in the previous 30 days. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drowsy driving was responsible for 72,000 crashes, 44,000 injuries, and 800 deaths in 2013.
(source)
Furthermore from that site,
Learn the warning signs of drowsy driving:
- Yawning or blinking frequently.
- Difficulty remembering the past few miles driven.
- Missing your exit.
- Drifting from your lane.
- Hitting a rumble strip on the side of the road.
Please, we ask you to also learn from my mistake. If you find yourself drowsy, pull over, or if you're offered a room to stay, take it. We get 1 life to live and it is precious.
We are so blessed to be okay and are thankful for our health, our lives, and the unseen angels that guided our car as we careened off the road. It could have been a whole lot worse.
Our followup care involves doing some energy healing (Wren does reiki and we'll engage in prayer) around the accident, stretching and yoga to flex out any tightness from the crash, processing the events by speaking about it (and writing it here) together and with family & friends. If you've ever been in an accident, how did you heal from any trauma that you experienced? Thanks for reading and please take a moment if you feel inspired to give thanks for your own health as we believe this was one of the core meanings of this event. Blessings.
A couple weeks ago, we participated in @jerrybanfield's Supernatural Writing Contest (SWC) in conjunction with @gmichelbkk. We'd like to offer this supernatural story which just took place this morning under that as well. Please let this be an example to you, if you're tired, pull over or stay where you are and don't drive.
