Round Robin Blog OCTOBER 2014
(Rhobin thanks as always.)
Topic: What is the scariest thing that has happened to you?
In 1986 (yes, all that time ago), I was driving on the freeway to pick up the kids from school when the car lost speed.
Wondering what was happening I tried to pull to the shoulder and stop and realized my brakes had failed and I couldn't stop my car.
I used the handbrake and nothing happened.
Fear swamped me.
The steering wheel seemed to work because I got off the freeway and took the exit...coasting.
It was a slope and in a horrible minute the car had picked up speed.
I looked up.
I was about to enter an intersection and the lights changed against me.
Fear escalated to terror and all I could say was, "Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!."
I braced myself as the car raced through the intersection and thank God went through four lanes of traffic and up against a pole and stopped with a horrible crash!
All that in five seconds.
School had let out and I was just aware I hadn't hit anyone, especially the children walking home, before I passed out.
I had concussion and severe whiplash as I had done the worst thing I could possibly do...braced myself for the accident. It took months of therapy to be able to use my arms properly and the pain in my neck and shoulders has never completely gone away.
The car was totaled but eventually I was fine.
That was one of the two most scariest things that have ever happened to me. Even writing about it now revives memories of the horror.
Now lets float over to Marci's and see what she has to say on this topic.
http://www.marcibaun.com/
And here are the others in the group with spectral insight too:
Heidi M. http://heidiwriter.wordpress.
Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/
Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.
A.J. Maguire http://ajmaguire.wordpress.
Rachael Kosnski http://the-doodling-booktease.
Margaret Fieland http://www.margaretfieland.
Geeta Kakade http://geetakakade.blogspot.
Marci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/
Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.
Victoria Chatham http://victoriachatham.webs.
Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
Fiona McGier http://www.fionamcgier.com/
Ginger Simpson http://mizging.blogspot.com/
Rhobin Courtright http://www.
That's really scary, Geeta. As a person who doesn't even do fairground rides, I can only imagine and cringe. Anne Stenhouse
ReplyDeleteIt was Anne and the effects lingered on and on!
DeleteGeeta
Oh Geeta! I know how scary that can be and I know what the aftermath is like. Thankfully you lived, and thankfully your car did not become a deadly weapon. Scary!
ReplyDeleteThanks Rhobin. The aftermath was bad.
DeleteGeeta
Only in retrospect can we appreciate the real danger that in the moment is overwhelmed by terror. So glad that you mostly recovered completely. And that no one else got in your way, since there wasn't anything you could have done differently. We usually think of driving as so common and mundane. If you don't mind, I'll share your story next time I sub for a Driver's Ed class in a high school. Hearing how someone else managed can help you mentally prepare.
ReplyDeleteFiona go ahead and use it. I didn't think of it at the time but later someone said I should have put my hand on the horn and kept it there to warn everybody I was in trouble. Hindsight is always 20/20 isn't it but someone may benefit from that gem of wisdom.
DeleteGeeta
That's frightening, Geeta! I agree with Rhobin on this one. How lucky you were that you missed everyone. Did you ever figure out what was wrong with the car?
ReplyDeleteThe car had just had the engine re-done and it seems things like vapor locks can suddenly make your car lose power. wildchild, all I know is God was with me at that time.
DeleteGeeta
Geeta, I have no idea how that would feel, losing complete control of the vehicle you're driving, but I know I would be terrified. I'm so glad no one was seriously injured, except for your whiplash.
ReplyDelete