Happy Trails...
Let me set the scene. It's labor day weekend, I'm not flat broke and me and my best friend have just won a pretty decent game of spades. I'm feeling pretty ok. There's a little bit of drama with the neighbors. Somebody had too much to drink and she done said something out the way to somebody else and it is FUNNY! 'Cause there is nothing wrong with a little bit of drama, as long as it's not MINE. I'm working out some of the question marks in my life, not with lightening speed, but I'm seeing the gray of the silver lining. Not too much more one can ask for right about now. And then....
Just when I think I'm doing really well. I'm looking and listening and maybe doing a really great job of figuring out some of the life lessons that the Lord is trying to teach me, this happens. I am so NOT ready for this. Anything but this. I mean, I really do deserve a break here. A lot has been going on and I've been keeping my head up, not giving up, listening and learning, pushing forward..all the things that I'm supposed to be doing and THIS!!! SERIOUSLY!!! After everything else...are you sure God that you don't have me mixed up with the knucklehead across the street?
We're sitting at a red light on my way to drop my bff off...in Coors (her Silver Infinit I35 - yes it's sweet), see I'm keeping the car tonight..carpooling...isn't it wonderful. And I would love to tell you that we're carpooling to save money on gas because we are just that economically conscience but the truth is we're carpooling because Hope (my indigo blue Passat) is sitting in a garage in Rockville waiting for me to finish paying for the new ENGINE it needs and Coors is my designated ride these days. So, all things considered - the state of the industry, the state of my car, and the state of my savings, I am doing all I can to stay festive. Back to the story.
We are sitting at a red light when I hear this screeching noise that sent my neighbors (still in mid drama) running around the corner to our red light. Takiyah saw it before I did because she was driving and the vehicle approached on her side. Before we could do anything about it a dark blue pick up truck was sitting on top of our bumper. We realized too late obviously that the truck had zoomed around the corner ran into the car in front of us and not taking his foot off the gas crashed into us second. Lovely. I looked over at her and realizing that she wasn't hurt got completely pissed. We slowly got out of the car to figure out the state of the other drivers and our damaged machine-run babies. The drivers of the truck in front of us were shaken, but ok. Immediately and at the same time all of our attention turned to the reckless driver of the truck still sitting basically on top of our bumper. The front of the truck was leaking fluid (I'm not even gonna pretend to know which one) and my initial fear was to back up because his truck might blow (I know too much tv). But as I looked harder in the driver's side window at the driver it became all too clear that he was HEAVILY intoxicated. This man was RIDICULOUSLY INEBRIATED..DRUNK beyond measure and I would be all too surprised if he even spoke Engligh. Not to mention his use of an out of state tag strongly indicated that his extended stay in the US was probably not very legal.
He started to turn the key in the ignition to get the car to start, but his engine sputtered and spattered with no luck. He put his head down and then tried again with all his might. I looked at Takiyah confused at why he was so bent on starting the engine, it hadn't yet dawned on me that he was attempting a getaway. As he lowered his head and arm I backed away not sure what he was reaching for and not wanting to find out. I backed up and his engine started, he backed up and sped off. Sped off with one tire almost completely on it's side. As we speechlessly watched him bend the corner we all just looked at one another amazed, like we needed the expressions on the other faces to confirm for us that the craziness that our eyes had just seen was not a deceptive trick. My neighbors came running around the corner to make sure that we were alright and then handed us a cell phone to call the police.
Now. I would love to tell you that we were so concerned for each other's safety and happy to be alive that the last thing on our minds were the vehicles. I would love to tell you that I was Christian enough for my first sentence to be..." Thank God no one was hurt..."...nope. My first sentence was something like..."*&^%...a hit and run...SERIOUSLY!!!!". I was completely angry, not grateful, ANGRY. This is the only car that WE have right now and money had just been put into the car for a previous crisis. We didn't have money for this...RIGHT NOW??? We begrudgingly waited the hour for Baltimore's finest to come take the report as I recited the tag number over and over in my mind. I was upset, but I was no dummy. Your girl was of course smart enough to catch the tag number as he sped away. THAT DRUNK MEXICAN WAS GOING DOWN!!!!
Always the optimist, I had hope. I just knew that once the BCPD arrived, everything would be straightened out. I would give them the tag number and they would speed away to find the injured vehicle that obviously couldn't have gotten far so that we would have our justice. Wrapped up and tied with a bow, just like that. Even having watched a few episodes of The Wire I was still naively convinced that officers of the law would pat me on the shoulder for my "detective instincts" and adamantly pursue an arrest. HA!!
The officer arrived, scribbled a report, told us more than likely NOT to expect the driver to be found and basically sent us on our way. And that's it. That was our justice. SERIOUSLY!!
My reason for telling this story tonight is a little different. You see I am the queen of happy trails, outcomes or lessons that make the experience worthwhile. Not always welcome, just eventually tolerable. This happened last Saturday night and I didn't share then because I was waiting for my lesson. I figured, I have been through SOOO much else, this must have an incredibly deep and spiritual meaning, I just have to wait for it. I waited - no meaning, no lesson. I'm at a loss. I was sure that there was something deeper. I have to be missing something. Am I just ungrateful? Should the lesson be, "Life is short don't take it for granted.." or "Friends don't let friends drive drunk.."...or....what.. I don't get it this time. I guess I just have to wait. Or maybe sometimes life just SUCKS...
Nevertheless, the only happy trail that I have tonight is to the dark blue pick-up truck with Kansas tag XRU 636 who will more than likely never be caught. And that just really sucks.
Just when I think I'm doing really well. I'm looking and listening and maybe doing a really great job of figuring out some of the life lessons that the Lord is trying to teach me, this happens. I am so NOT ready for this. Anything but this. I mean, I really do deserve a break here. A lot has been going on and I've been keeping my head up, not giving up, listening and learning, pushing forward..all the things that I'm supposed to be doing and THIS!!! SERIOUSLY!!! After everything else...are you sure God that you don't have me mixed up with the knucklehead across the street?
We're sitting at a red light on my way to drop my bff off...in Coors (her Silver Infinit I35 - yes it's sweet), see I'm keeping the car tonight..carpooling...isn't it wonderful. And I would love to tell you that we're carpooling to save money on gas because we are just that economically conscience but the truth is we're carpooling because Hope (my indigo blue Passat) is sitting in a garage in Rockville waiting for me to finish paying for the new ENGINE it needs and Coors is my designated ride these days. So, all things considered - the state of the industry, the state of my car, and the state of my savings, I am doing all I can to stay festive. Back to the story.
We are sitting at a red light when I hear this screeching noise that sent my neighbors (still in mid drama) running around the corner to our red light. Takiyah saw it before I did because she was driving and the vehicle approached on her side. Before we could do anything about it a dark blue pick up truck was sitting on top of our bumper. We realized too late obviously that the truck had zoomed around the corner ran into the car in front of us and not taking his foot off the gas crashed into us second. Lovely. I looked over at her and realizing that she wasn't hurt got completely pissed. We slowly got out of the car to figure out the state of the other drivers and our damaged machine-run babies. The drivers of the truck in front of us were shaken, but ok. Immediately and at the same time all of our attention turned to the reckless driver of the truck still sitting basically on top of our bumper. The front of the truck was leaking fluid (I'm not even gonna pretend to know which one) and my initial fear was to back up because his truck might blow (I know too much tv). But as I looked harder in the driver's side window at the driver it became all too clear that he was HEAVILY intoxicated. This man was RIDICULOUSLY INEBRIATED..DRUNK beyond measure and I would be all too surprised if he even spoke Engligh. Not to mention his use of an out of state tag strongly indicated that his extended stay in the US was probably not very legal.
He started to turn the key in the ignition to get the car to start, but his engine sputtered and spattered with no luck. He put his head down and then tried again with all his might. I looked at Takiyah confused at why he was so bent on starting the engine, it hadn't yet dawned on me that he was attempting a getaway. As he lowered his head and arm I backed away not sure what he was reaching for and not wanting to find out. I backed up and his engine started, he backed up and sped off. Sped off with one tire almost completely on it's side. As we speechlessly watched him bend the corner we all just looked at one another amazed, like we needed the expressions on the other faces to confirm for us that the craziness that our eyes had just seen was not a deceptive trick. My neighbors came running around the corner to make sure that we were alright and then handed us a cell phone to call the police.
Now. I would love to tell you that we were so concerned for each other's safety and happy to be alive that the last thing on our minds were the vehicles. I would love to tell you that I was Christian enough for my first sentence to be..." Thank God no one was hurt..."...nope. My first sentence was something like..."*&^%...a hit and run...SERIOUSLY!!!!". I was completely angry, not grateful, ANGRY. This is the only car that WE have right now and money had just been put into the car for a previous crisis. We didn't have money for this...RIGHT NOW??? We begrudgingly waited the hour for Baltimore's finest to come take the report as I recited the tag number over and over in my mind. I was upset, but I was no dummy. Your girl was of course smart enough to catch the tag number as he sped away. THAT DRUNK MEXICAN WAS GOING DOWN!!!!
Always the optimist, I had hope. I just knew that once the BCPD arrived, everything would be straightened out. I would give them the tag number and they would speed away to find the injured vehicle that obviously couldn't have gotten far so that we would have our justice. Wrapped up and tied with a bow, just like that. Even having watched a few episodes of The Wire I was still naively convinced that officers of the law would pat me on the shoulder for my "detective instincts" and adamantly pursue an arrest. HA!!
The officer arrived, scribbled a report, told us more than likely NOT to expect the driver to be found and basically sent us on our way. And that's it. That was our justice. SERIOUSLY!!
My reason for telling this story tonight is a little different. You see I am the queen of happy trails, outcomes or lessons that make the experience worthwhile. Not always welcome, just eventually tolerable. This happened last Saturday night and I didn't share then because I was waiting for my lesson. I figured, I have been through SOOO much else, this must have an incredibly deep and spiritual meaning, I just have to wait for it. I waited - no meaning, no lesson. I'm at a loss. I was sure that there was something deeper. I have to be missing something. Am I just ungrateful? Should the lesson be, "Life is short don't take it for granted.." or "Friends don't let friends drive drunk.."...or....what.. I don't get it this time. I guess I just have to wait. Or maybe sometimes life just SUCKS...
Nevertheless, the only happy trail that I have tonight is to the dark blue pick-up truck with Kansas tag XRU 636 who will more than likely never be caught. And that just really sucks.
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And now that I've gotten the spriritual taken care of: GIRL I'D BE HEATED!!!!!! ha! I'd STILL be fumin'... And knowing me, I prolly woulda had some (not-so) nice words for the men in blue. Yeah. SERIOUSLY.