They say confession is good for the soul. Perhaps this is why I feel so compelled to reveal what happened a few hours ago. Maybe Im searching for some grain of absolution, though I deserve none. Ive always considered myself a safe driver. I guess thats why I thought I could get away with this. You see, I committed one of todays most cardinal sins...I had an accident because of distracted driving. I wasnt talking on the cell phone, nor attempting to manipulate some on-board instrumentation. It was the worst....texting while driving. To compound it, I was piloting the motorized conveyance by steering with my knees. I was tapping out a truly unimportant communiqué, then looked up and the typical slow motion scenario unfolded. I had drifted considerably off course. My corrective reaction was too slow and I was on the victim in an instant. The impact was violent. The sound was sickening...wet and heavy. And I finally came to a stop. I disembarked and went to the victim...limbs horribly mangled. The fluid of life ebbing from the wounds. Just a glance I could tell the chances of life were limited. What have I done! I felt so helpless. I felt angry. I still clutched the infernal cellular device and wanted to hurl it to the horizon. I wanted to blame it. But I knew it was squarely my fault. I wanted to go back, to have a do-over. But its like un-ringing a bell or calling back a shot. Theres no going back. Its brutally permanent. Undoubtedly, when the authority weighs in on this my driving privileges will be revoked. And rightly so. How can I possible accept anything less for such a senseless and avoidable debacle. The victim was so young, so full of fresh promises. And Im standing there with this modern marvel welded to my palm. Its uncertain what the next few weeks will hold....its still too early to tell. But I do know, in the depths of tonights stillness, the graphic images will loop back again and again. The nightmare of sounds. The mind scarring carnage. The disgusting waste. Ive learned a stone cold fact here: No amount of public service announcements pleading to all---young and old---to never text and drive, will fully prepare one for the horrendous consequences when you knee-steer a riding mower over one of your fresh blueberry bushes.
Posted on: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 00:30:47 +0000
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