Panic Mode

I saw a really bad car accident happen today in Indy when I stopped to fill up my gas tank before getting back on the interstate to head home.  It was at a busy intersection (the one I had just passed through!)  If you've ever witnessed a car accident, you know that the sights, sounds, and voices are terrible and scary.  I remember when I was a teenager, my parents and I had just parked outside a restaurant and we witnessed an accident where a truck hit a mini van and the van flipped.  Without thinking, both of my parents (doctors) took off running toward the car to see what help they could offer.  All I could do was stand there in shock.  I'll never forget their heroism and the way they ran to help.  I think the people in the car were all ok even though they were pretty much hanging upside down, and my parents waited until the police and ambulance got there before we went in to eat.

So today, when I saw this accident happen, my initial reaction was shock, and my body kind of went into panic mode.  I also thought, "That could have been me...THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ME"!  I had just come through that intersection.  So I stopped and was thankful for my own safety.  I prayed to God for those in the accident.  One car had flipped and it looked like the roof of the car was smashed pretty badly.  I heard voices coming from all over all the sudden saying "call 911!"  Within 2 minutes, the police showed up, thankfully.

When something sudden and shocking like this happens, the world seems to stop in time.  I found myself being thankful for my life, for the people in my life, for my own safety, remembering to slow down and focus on my driving, and realizing that some of the petty things I've been fussing over lately are really not that important at the end of the day.  People come together in times like this- calling for help, running to help those who need it, sticking together...drivers around the scene letting cars over so we could get around the wreckage.  We are thankful for those who risk their own lives to rush to the scene to help.  Even in the panic, life seems to come into focus and we remember what's important.

Even if only for a moment...

I'm not sure what happened to those involved in the accident.  All I know is that at least one person was still in the car that had flipped, and he/she didn't seem to be moving.  It didn't look good.

So be careful out there, friends.  Take it slow, pay attention, and be thankful for your life, those in it, and for your well-being.  Life changes so suddenly.  It's sad that sometimes it takes witnessing or experiencing something traumatic for us to remember what's important.