Growing up

Everyone has to grow up sometime. I feel like this weekend was part of my "growing up". On Saturday afternoon, after running some errands with my sister I was driving home through Old Town. The traffic is often slow (which irritates me), and people always seem to pile up in one lane like little lemmings (which also irritates me). It was just such the case that afternoon, so as I pulled in to the left-inside lane and was about to cross the intersection....CRASH. My FIRST accident! My poor little malibu!! I pulled my bruised and broken car to the curb. (Luckily only the car was bruised and broken. Both myself and the other driver were not injured). I didn't really know what to do. Thoughts flew through my mind...Do I get out of the car? I probably should clear the debris from the road. Do the police just come...no, I probably have to call them. I felt like such a child. I was shaky and nervous. Mostly I didn't want to look incompetent in front of the other driver; especially because I was fairly certain he was at fault.

I got out of the car, made my way slowly over to his and just said, "well, this isn't how I anticipated I'd spend my Saturday." We exchanged information. I called Joseph then the police. And to be honest, the whole thing was not as bad as I had expected. Everyone involved was super friendly, the police officer, the other driver, and the AAA tow truck lady who was giving everyone advice about repair shops and calling in an extra tow truck for the dude's car. The officer determined I was not a fault (which wasn't too hard to deduce). My newfound "crash friend" had left his cell phone with his wife and friends. So we called them on mine. They were at a local burger joint. Nice people. We left with a hand shake and a "Good luck" to each other. Later Joseph told me how the officer had commented on how well I was doing...how grown up I was acting. I laughed and thought, if only he had seen the child within!!

It's these funny little experiences that I am somehow grateful for because they hold valuable lessons about people. I felt like I made some new friends that day. Or at least renewed my faith in humanity. Sadly, my car will be anything but renewed!