3 Seconds ...

Saturday served as an incredible "American Day" for me. I say "American Day" because all that I did seemed to fit into my mind's eye picture of what Americans do on Saturdays. For me this means a number of things, but in this instance that thing was working in the yard. Of course I wasn't in my yard as I was finishing up an install job for some friends, but still ... I was outside, sweating, getting dirty, and working. I was also getting paid. I worked for nearly 6 hours. Came home, took a dip in the pool (very American), showered and then watched TV (another point for being American), and then continued to go out to eat with my family.

We went to a place called CANTINA, its this little a-la-cart Mexican place in Birmingham proper. If you haven't been you need to go! Its amazing, and their margaritas are supremely delicious.

Once we finished, we sat and chatted some before my mother and I left in my car. I was headed to get on to Hwy 31, to go back to our house. Apparently I was very set on getting to Hwy 31, so set that all I saw was the road sign for 31, not the red light a block up! As for my mom, she too was not looking at the red light, as we were in the midst of a nice conversation. Then it happened ....

Ungluing my eyes from the Hwy 31 road sign, I noticed the red lights in front of my car, screaming at me to stop ... simultaneously my mom hastily warned of the red lights. As my vehicle sped along about 40 mph, I noticed not a singular car even getting near the intersection from the direction that had the green light ... "I figured no big deal, I have done this before and will make it once more"... Only, this time, there was a power line pole blocking my sight of the Landrover careening through the intersection ... in a split second, my life went from light-hearted conversation with my mom, to survival mode!

Every instinct I can think of kicked in gear ... my heart rate jumped, my vision focused, and my ears blocked out all noise ... and at 40 mph I jerked the wheel of my Jeep Cherokee as hard as I could to the right, attempting to avoid the front passenger side of the Landrover. I can recall not a single skidding noise, not a single scream or word from my mother, not a single thing other than seeing the front corners of our two cars aimed maliciously at each other, and seeing my corner all the sudden begin to unalign itself! As for the driver of the Landrover, he slammed on his brakes, skidding. As I steered right, my car slid straight only to catch a single foot from the front of the Landrover and swing back out in front of him, completely missing his car, into the edge of the intersection. We stopped. "Damn it!" I cried. Down goes my window and his too ... "Man, if you'da hit me I woulda knocked the shit out of ya!" was the first thing I heard! I was a little taken aback, but not offended as I would have done the same thing to myself if I would have hit him. We exchanged two more sentences, made sure that the other was alright. Before we left he dropped the 'F'-bomb and all was cool.

To say the least, my mother was rattled and she described herself "weak in the knees!" I felt like I could fly or something I was so hyped up on adrenaline and epinephrine. Wow, I could feel my heart beat in my temples and in my elbows. Never have I come so close to a wreck and never again do I want to.

All I have to say to this is praise to my great God who was obviously protecting me and my mom that evening. I can imagine the angels holding and directing the front of my car away from the front of that guys Landrover. His car skidded to a straight stop, while the one that would have flipped if either did, pulled an almost literal 90 degree turn around the Landrover without ever coming off four wheels!

That is my weekend survival tale.