As I watched a pickup being sat upright on the street in front of me, I was having some flashbacks to last Friday. I almost ached for the driver in the turned over pickup - but I think it was just residual aching from my own fender bender, or in my case, fender smasher from last Friday. 

Every week I post the police report and never give a second thought to the number of accidents in town...until this week's report. There were four. I responded to the gal that I bother at the police station when I need some information. I said, "FOUR accidents???? People really need to learn how to drive!😂" I hope she put together that I was referring to me!  Had I paid better attention to where I was going last week, there would have only been three accidents in the report...but noooo.

In my lousy defense, I was looking for pictures to take. I knew there were people on roofs helping their neighbors, so I was gawking hither and yon and then I noticed Garage Sale signs and the last coherant thought I had was, "I wonder where..." The next thing I remember was seeing the dashboard heading for my face. My neck and back instantly began hurting. There's no time for your life to flash before your eyes, trust me, there's time for one deep thought and it went something like this. "THIS is gonna hurt!" 

Now, I wasn't wrong. 

I pride myself on being calm, cool and collected, but after I met the nice man in a pickup, I couldn't even remember how to call 911. As I got out, I said to the other driver, "I can't remember how to call 911." He growled back, "It's 911!" like, "Duh, you dumb gray-headed lady!" (In his defense, he had a right to be a bit growly with me.)

Now I knew the 911 part, it was the part about getting my phone to cooperate. I got it to call a guy whom I'd talked to a couple of days before, and finally my brain unscrambled enough and I was able to call the appropriate three numbers. 

Also, fortunately, I happened to land next to a street sign, so I'm sure I sounded all professional like, as I gave the correct intersection, but really it was just my reading ability that was still working. I hung up, and called my son next. "I had an accident." Fortunately for me, the "Gee mom, what'd you do this time?" crew arrived as I was calling my insurance to report my mishap. 

I kid you not, while this is happening, the phrase, "Why did the chicken cross the road..." came to my mind, but I couldn't think of anything funny to add to that. The new acquaintance looked at the trail of Lexus debris on the road and said, "I usually have a broom in back, I could sweep that up..." I answered, "I should've flown my broom!" 

So yeah, I was shaken (but not stirred, I promise) and when offered a seat in the air conditioning, I thought, "I'm shaking so bad I'm not sure I can walk that far....AND...if I fall down, these people will call an ambulance and then I'll REALLY be embarrassed!" Now mind you, I failed to communicate that, as I quickly sat down in the front seat of my car..

So anyway, know that unfortunately, accidents happen. In my case, the kind street department guys came with their brooms and cleaned up the mess I made, and I thanked them. I thanked the officer from the Vinton Police Department. But hey, he said he had a feeling there would be an accident that day...I say he should've at least put that out on Facebook, maybe I would've stayed home??? I'm joking, of course, I wouldn't have. 

The car was checked into the Griffith's Collision ER to get a diagnosis, and I went home and crawled into bed. I felt like, well, like I'd been hit by a truck. 

The upside is that I wasn't seriously hurt, neither was the other guy. Our cars, while dented, still run. Betterton Chiropractic put me back in alignment when I ran out there...4 days later. The rib that was crazy sore the first 3 days, is now just tender and I can sleep laying down.

So anyway, I'm fortunate and I know it. I'm also stupid, and I know that too. And now, I will crawl back into bed after taking some more magnesium, which seems to help a little with the aches...(Yeah, I'd do tylenol or something stronger, but I don't keep it in the house...who needs it???)

Careful out there folks, you might be a great driver, but I don't trust the rest of us sometimes!