Moments before, I had been happily driving with my
girlfriend – we were on our way to be inducted into a national honor fraternity
ceremony at our college. She sat on the
passenger side putting on her last touches of make up. I was driving, and I watched a man coming
toward me with his blinker on. I looked
in disbelief, he was so close to me, there was no way he could make the
turn. And besides, I had the right of
way.
That was my last thought.
I have the right of way.
My very next memory, after He won’t turn, I have
the right of way, was waking up in my mom’s smashed up car with a stranger
cradling me. Although I had been the driver, now I was in the middle of the
car. Who knows where my friend was – not
in the car. EMTs were putting me on a
board, strapping me down, and carefully removing me from a broken window. My body was convulsing and the man who I woke
up next to (I’ll save that one for another story) was saying “it’s ok, you’ve been
in an accident. You’re ok”…. All this
happened in a matter of moments as I watched Good Samaritan out in the sunlight
looking back at me on this board in the ambulance.
This was over 25 years ago.
Decades of lingering pain have taught me something very
important. So what if I had the right of
way. Sometimes, let the wrong person
have the right of way…….
Remember when you were learning to drive and your mom or dad
would say “Drive defensively”? or how
about, “Don’t trust that driver’s blinker.
It’s been on since 1957”.
Remember that one?
Well, I’m going to morph it some, but the principle is the
same. Run defensively. I can’t tell you how many times I have been
on the sidewalk and someone is backing out of their driveway, utterly oblivious
to the pedestrian on the sidewalk. Or
how about when they are looking to their left while making a right hand turn –
only you happen to be on the right hand
side and they aren’t even thinking of people – only cars. You are not in their thoughts. It matters nothing if you have the right of
way. You, as a runner, are nothing in
the face of a car.
I was lucky 25 years ago.
I was in a car. But I was niave,
a fairly new young driver. And I assumed
we all play by the rules all the time.
Now, when I see the oblivious driver, texting, talking, or
looking the other way, I still get that same thought…
I have the right of way
Only now, I have a second sentence run through my head. And it’s:
Who cares. Stop
anyway.
I encourage you to pick up a copy of my book, 7
Days to a New You, which is currently out on amazon. Let this guide you through not only a food
cleanse, but an emotional renewal. Fall
is a great time for cleanses as well.
Pick a copy up today!
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