The day I ALMOST died.
No, I'm not being overdramatic. I had a near death experience today. Lets cut to the story...
Almost everyday, I walk to the Mountain View CalTrain station, and today was no exception. I took my usual route, through streets I know like the back of my hand. I came to the intersection of Shoreline and Wright. Not a particularly busy intersection but there is a good amount of traffic that passes by. After I push the "walk" button, I wait for my turn to traverse the street. The gentleman in front of me jays across the street and I'm thinking how dangerous he was being on a rainy day like today, a car may not be able to stop in time to avoid him.
The cross traffic light turns red and I'm prompted to "walk". Like a zombie I just instinctively walk across the street. I mean, it was 8 o'clock, I was still waking up :P. I make it half way across the intersection when I hear some screeching coming from my right. I look over and a car is speeding down the street in my direction. I immediately froze and took a quick step back. The car grazes me and keeps speeding down the street. My immediate reaction was anger. How can someone be so careless to speed through a red light, thank goodness there was no cross traffic, he and the other car would've been in BIG trouble. Then it hit me... I could've just died. If I was walking just a tad bit faster, I would've been a goner. At the speed he was going (40-50mph) there wouldn't have been a chance for me to avoid him and I would've been his hood ornament for sure. I began to shake as I continued to walk toward me destination. At that moment I was absolutely thankful that I had been spared and it definitely shook my world.
Every day, every breath, every moment we have is a gift and in a snap it can be taken away. Me being here at this exact moment and time isn't a mistake. I need to make these moments count. Needless to say, I'm eternally grateful for being alive. I'll be looking 1,000 times both ways now while I'm crossing the street.
Almost everyday, I walk to the Mountain View CalTrain station, and today was no exception. I took my usual route, through streets I know like the back of my hand. I came to the intersection of Shoreline and Wright. Not a particularly busy intersection but there is a good amount of traffic that passes by. After I push the "walk" button, I wait for my turn to traverse the street. The gentleman in front of me jays across the street and I'm thinking how dangerous he was being on a rainy day like today, a car may not be able to stop in time to avoid him.
The cross traffic light turns red and I'm prompted to "walk". Like a zombie I just instinctively walk across the street. I mean, it was 8 o'clock, I was still waking up :P. I make it half way across the intersection when I hear some screeching coming from my right. I look over and a car is speeding down the street in my direction. I immediately froze and took a quick step back. The car grazes me and keeps speeding down the street. My immediate reaction was anger. How can someone be so careless to speed through a red light, thank goodness there was no cross traffic, he and the other car would've been in BIG trouble. Then it hit me... I could've just died. If I was walking just a tad bit faster, I would've been a goner. At the speed he was going (40-50mph) there wouldn't have been a chance for me to avoid him and I would've been his hood ornament for sure. I began to shake as I continued to walk toward me destination. At that moment I was absolutely thankful that I had been spared and it definitely shook my world.
Every day, every breath, every moment we have is a gift and in a snap it can be taken away. Me being here at this exact moment and time isn't a mistake. I need to make these moments count. Needless to say, I'm eternally grateful for being alive. I'll be looking 1,000 times both ways now while I'm crossing the street.
posted by d-vizz at 10/31/2008 09:36:00 PM
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