How Did That Car Miss Me? #laryngectomee life


I was leaving my granddaughter’s graduation and I saw the 2nd part of a 3-car crash. My vehicle was in the middle of cars #1 and #2. (See diagram below.) Traffic was moving very slowly as there were a lot of cars leaving the parking lot. Mostly we were sitting there, occasionally creeping forward. I heard a very loud bang behind me on the right side. It was so close I jumped and could swear I felt it. Then car #3 flew by me and its right back wheel swerved into the curb. Car #3 bounced off the curb and hit car #2. Cars #1, #2 and #3 were all in the right lane now and I was in the left lane blocking traffic. I pulled forward and past car #2 to allow traffic to pass. I checked my car for any damage; there was none.  I determined that there were probably multiple witnesses that saw more than I did so I left.

I reconsidered and decided that what I heard and saw might be helpful in some way, be it ever so small, so I turned around and made myself available at the scene. As a laryngectomee, speaking is difficult for me in the best of circumstances and outside with traffic it would be almost possible to be heard. So I wrote on my board to those around that I would be a witness if needed. When the police officer arrived, I again wrote on my board that I had seen car #3 hit car #2 but I did not see what happened behind me with car #1 and car #3.

Graduation was outside….no clouds….it was hot and I got burned. Even though I had water to drink throughout the long ceremony, I was getting nauseated and considered leaving early. I wanted to get home and nap when the ceremony was over. But I didn’t. I stayed to make myself available.

It is tempting to not get involved. Sometimes I’d rather crawl in bed and not be involved in life around me. But our thoughts matter. What we see matters. It is more difficult now to explain what I saw, but it is important that we stay involved. I have no idea if I will be called by insurance companies to get my story. I think what I heard and saw is important, but I dread that call. I dread being hung up on. I dread the possibility that my voice prosthesis won’t work right that day and I will expend a ton of energy just to be ignored in the end.

Envision though, 3 cars in a row, end to end, another car travels to the right. Hits the car behind me, hits the curb and hits the car in front of me. TOTALLY missing my car. My car didn’t have a scratch. I was telling my daughter that I had no idea how my car was not involved. My adult granddaughter said “it was God”. Yep. Can’t make this stuff up. It was God. You may or may not believe, but I believe God is good, all the time. And at that point of the day, my life, He was definitely watching over me.

 Car #2 II 
     Me   II  II Car #3
Car #1 II  



 

  

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