Getting High on Recovery

Car accidents can have a humorous side

___

My car was a sandwich this week. My wife was waiting for a light and someone collided with her, mushrooming the back end and sending her into the vehicle in front. Both ends of our vehicle ended up being curled under and the car was undrivable.

The good news is that both she and my daughter are okay.

It got me thinking that accidents can terrible or they can be fortunate. Any accident can be terrible if people are harmed and if our lives are devastated. Thankfully, most accidents are minor inconveniences.

Minor accidents are annoying but they can end up being great for 9 reasons:

1. Accidents make you more aware of the little things. Like finding money on the sidewalk, the smell of flowers and fresh cinnamon buns. These things never get old. Neither does waiting on the road for 1.5 hours while Police, Fire Department, and Tow Truck get things straightened out.
2. Accidents waste a lot of time that you would otherwise spend watching meaningless TV.
3. Accidents make you feel old for a little while. Sometimes when we get old, we repeat the same story again and again. Accidents give you a story to tell and you need to tell everyone around you. Again and again.
4. Accidents get your car repaired and cleaned at the same time.
5. Accidents force you to look into your glove compartment. I finally looked under the layers and discovered .96 cents and a set of DVD player cords that haven’t been used for 5 years. It’s like your own personal lost and found in there.
6. They get you used to nicks and dents. The older I get, the more dents I have. My car is a metaphor for my life… if you love me, first you must accept and love my dents.
7. Accidents remind you of the importance of being specific. The police and the insurance company want you to tell your story. “I was traveling and I hit her” is a story, but not quite what they all need. I need my wife to be specific with lists of things to do and things to buy. If it is not on the list, it won’t get done.
8. Accidents point to new career options. This is related to #7. I sometimes speak in generalities and it frustrates my wife, who likes the details. I want to get the big picture and for me, that is enough. She wants the details from 4 different directions. Maybe she should have become a police officer or worked for an insurance company. I might suggest that to her after the trauma of the accident has worn off.
9. Accidents always wreck your day. But then there is tomorrow. There is always another day and usually, the next day is better. Life is like that, there is always tomorrow. Moods, re-run season and your teenagers will try to convince you that what you are experiencing is permanent… but it is not. You can have a bad day and you will recover.
10. Bonus: Never text and drive. Just don’t. You may end up hitting someone and wrecking their car…

Keep it Real