Fuck the holidays
Usually I don't begin a post with such a terse title, but after the last 24 hours I've changed alot of my outlook "comfort and joy". I guess it started a week or 2 ago finding out my ENTIRE family was fighting. There were other events that transpired that I won't go into detail on but were kind of upsetting. I also lost a someone I considered a friend over a horrible misunderstanding and my car was fucking up again. Enter the last 24 hours -Thanksgiving- the second I wake up I realize my sinuses are backed up and a general malaise had set in... the most annoying cold on the planet earth. Not wanting more drama, I ventured off with my lovely wife to Patagonia Lake. It seemed to be a wonderful place to forget about the holiday for awhile and relax. And actually, it was.
But, we were wholly unprepared for what came next. On the road we happened upon the most horrifying wreck I've ever seen. A head-on collision between an elderly woman in a minivan and an older man, a woman I presumed as his wife, and a small child. No police were present when we got there but there were plenty of people as the road was completely blocked. As we walked up to the wreck I was too shocked to feel much of anything until I saw both cars. The front end of the minivan was gone, and the engine was thrust through the dashboard onto the driver who was now deceased. The truck was wedged between two trees with it's tail propped on the spare tire. Neither driver nor passenger was moving, but the child was screaming in tones that will haunt me for a very long time. The truck was also precariously perched upon a very steep ledge. As the EMT's arrived, I realized how incredibly shallow and trivial my problems were in comparison. I was upset because I wasn't comfortable with my holiday situation and in front of me people lay dead or dying, and a small child was in very grave danger.
We stayed as long as we could but were eventually herded by law enforcement in the opposite direction for an alternate route home. On the way back we didn't speak much...how could we? We couldn't get the accident out of our heads and were much more concerned for the child trapped in that truck. It's sad that it takes a tragedy for us to look beyond ourselves and our minor problems. But I thank god or whoever for those who can band together and help those in dire need.
I don't know the names of the people who died last night but I hope their souls rest in peace with whichever deity they believe in.
But, we were wholly unprepared for what came next. On the road we happened upon the most horrifying wreck I've ever seen. A head-on collision between an elderly woman in a minivan and an older man, a woman I presumed as his wife, and a small child. No police were present when we got there but there were plenty of people as the road was completely blocked. As we walked up to the wreck I was too shocked to feel much of anything until I saw both cars. The front end of the minivan was gone, and the engine was thrust through the dashboard onto the driver who was now deceased. The truck was wedged between two trees with it's tail propped on the spare tire. Neither driver nor passenger was moving, but the child was screaming in tones that will haunt me for a very long time. The truck was also precariously perched upon a very steep ledge. As the EMT's arrived, I realized how incredibly shallow and trivial my problems were in comparison. I was upset because I wasn't comfortable with my holiday situation and in front of me people lay dead or dying, and a small child was in very grave danger.
We stayed as long as we could but were eventually herded by law enforcement in the opposite direction for an alternate route home. On the way back we didn't speak much...how could we? We couldn't get the accident out of our heads and were much more concerned for the child trapped in that truck. It's sad that it takes a tragedy for us to look beyond ourselves and our minor problems. But I thank god or whoever for those who can band together and help those in dire need.
I don't know the names of the people who died last night but I hope their souls rest in peace with whichever deity they believe in.