I’m not dead! Though I was in a car wreck…..

Yes, I know it may be hard to believe, but I am in fact not dead! I have neglected this for too long, and I apologize. Life, as it always does, got in the way, largely involving me wrecking my car. I have so many things to write about: Love, My Car Wreck, Music, District 9…..where to begin? I see this blog is suprisingly getting hits. Well, NO MORE SLACKING!

I’ll start with my car wreck. I was braving the morning rush-hour on Interstate 35, on the worst stretch of the road (in Carrollton, between the George Bush Turnpike and I-635). Well, as usual, it was stop and go. It was the last day of my summer internship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Library, the last morning I would have to drive that road. My new phone’s alarm failed to go off, and I was running late. “Damned if im going to be late on my last day, but there’s not much I can do. If i am late, oh well”. I thought as the sound of crashing Taiko Drums reverberated throughout my Car. Next to me, traffic in the HOV lane whizzed past. “Boy, I wish I could be in that lane….makes me wonder how effectively they’re working since everything else is so clogged. I bet half the people don’t even have more then two people, I mean how are police supposed to enforce any sort of law in this gridlock?” My curiosity was aroused, and with it began the chain of events leading to my wreck. I glanced in my mirror at cars that came past in the HOV lane, counting. 40% seemed to have only one person. Traffic had sped up, and i was going faster. For about 3-4 seconds I was engrossed in my mirror. That was all it took. Traffic ahead of me had stopped suddenly, and I was still going forward. I slammed on the breaks as hard as I possibly could. I felt them lock up beneath me, and there was nothing I could do as I sailed into the back of the SUV. Or rather, into the undercarriage.

I found myself in shock. The first thing was the burnt smell as the airbags deployed in front of me, though i never hit them (I had already braced myself for a collision with my legs). More then that, the hood of my car was peeled back in a C shape, with the top of it cracking the glass on my passenger side. “What?!” I wondered. Initially, i got somewhat confused. How cheaply were cars made? I hadn’t hit THAT fast. In 100 years of making cars they were this crappy? A police officer had by luck been about 3 cars behind me, and he pulled into the HOV lane. As i saw him get out, It occured to me that I should be more upset. My car had just been wrecked. But honestly, I wasn’t particularly shaken up about it – nobody was hurt, that was certain. A car is just a thing, a bunch of plastic and metal and rubber. It dosen’t mean much.

The officer came and told me to wait in the car until the ambulance arrived (though i was fine). I quickly gathered my Ipod and other things, and called my dad. “Hello dad!” I said cheerfully “I’ve just had a wonderful car wreck! I think my car’s totaled!” He was on his way. The ambulance arrived, and after assuring them that I was perfectly alright I finally got out of my car. I saw that there were more then 2 cars involved- two more in front of the SUV were banged up but drivable, and they went on their way. I saw why my car had crumpled. My bumper, designed to take an impact, was sitting just fine and dandy, completely untouched. The SUV’s wheels were too big – instead the impact hit my engine, ripping it to shreds. Engines aren’t made to withstand impacts. The driver of the car i hit was very understanding about it and not the least bit mad, which was nice. I was depressed, largely realizing that my stupidity had done more then make my life more difficult- rather I had made several hundred people’s lives more difficult by backing up traffic. This was not a good feeling.

Anyway, my car got towed away, my insurance luckily didn’t go up, and I have a new cavalier. Its silver (a more awesome car color then white), has four doors (because you all want to go on rides with me now im sure), and is a 2004 model. Its otherwise identical (ok, so the steering wheel is designed differently and the stick-thingie that shifts into drive and whatnot has the button ON THE SIDE INSTEAD OF ON TOP!) . I had to spend all the money i made this summer on the new one (which i wouldn’t need to buy had i not had the internship). In any case, after the first 2-3 days of being depressed, it hasn’t been on my mind much at all. I have FAR more important matters to think about – like this coming semester, in which much of the course of my life to come shall be shaped, for better or for worse. That, however, is another tale for another time. I’ll probably post again tonight about music.

Rawr.

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