I was a camp counselor for our local middle school for seven years in a
row when I was in my twenties. The sixth grade class in my hometown
takes a week long science trip up to Bodega Bay near the end of every
school year. The students learn about tide pools, Redwood forests,
flora and fauna, etc. For most kids, it’s literally the first week-long
trip away from home in their lives.
One of the great things about being a counselor for so many years in a row was getting to drive my own car to the camp. The first couple years I was a counselor, I had to ride the big yellow bus with all the screaming and pukey kids - for about four or five hours there and back. Driving my own car was awesome!!
The last year that I was a camp counselor, I had a crazy experience. The week went really well, the kids were great, everything was perfect. All of us counselors were dead tired by the time we were about to leave. I hopped in my (silent) car with a good friend named Lindsay. She rode with me to keep me company on the way home. It was nice to finally get a break from the loudness of sixth graders.
We drove from the Bodega Bay area towards the usual middle stopping point - Cordelia Junction. This was always the spot for lunch, and we were going to meet the rest of the group there.
We drove through the small town of Sebastopol and while Lindsay and I talked, she began to eat Pringles. I love Pringles! So, I asked if I could have some. She grabbed a big handful of Pringles and started to pass them to me. As she did this, a traffic light was turning red, so I began to make my stop. Just as she was about to hand the chips off to me - WHAM! - a car slammed into the rear of the car. Pringles flew everywhere! It was jarring. I was lucky enough to apply my brakes so I didn’t hit the car in front of me.
I was so pissed! I’m not sure if it was the fact that my car got hit, or I lost all my Pringles. The combination of both made me turn around and start yelling every profanity I knew, and I began pointing to the lady to pull over. She just sat there with a really dumb look on her face. Finally, the light turned green and I started to drive off. The car that hit me remained where it was. I figured that her engine was broken and her car was stuck in the middle of the road. I turned my car around and drove up to the light again, facing the opposite way as the traffic light turned red.
I sat there angry and really confused on what to do. I mean - what do you do when a random person rear-ends you in a town you've never been to?? We noticed (luckily) that a cop car was right behind the lady’s car. He had witnessed everything. How fortunate is that?
When the light turned green again, her car just sat there. We drove past and I gave her the dirtiest look I could possibly give. The cops lights began flashing as we drove past her. I didn't want to yell any profanities at her as I passed because the cop was right there.
The line of cars was really long because there was no movement from the broken down car, so it took a while for us to make a U turn and get in the line of waiting cars.
We waited five minutes. We began to hear sirens. Ten minutes. Still no movement. Cars behind us were turning around. Then, finally, we began to move forward. We got to the intersection where I had been hit and there was a cop directing traffic. The traffic lights were blinking red. I was thinking, “Gosh - what’s the big deal here? I just got rear-ended.” I pulled my window down and told the cop that the lady had hit me. He told me to drive over to an empty parking lot.
As we drove to the parking lot, we noticed street signs that were knocked down. I thought, “what the heck?” I got out of my car - and then I saw it. The lady’s car had plowed straight into the wall of a Bank of America. She was slumped over on her steering wheel - and she was dead. Dead! Ummm...
She had a heart attack while driving, and my rear bumper had been her brake. And I had yelled profanities at her. I gave her angry mean looks. And she was gone.
I yelled profanities at a dead lady! Seriously - how funny - and wrong is that??
And - how do you ask for insurance information when dealing with someone that is dead? Well, thankfully, my car had minimal damage. I had to give a statement, and I just let it all go. We drove off to Cordelia Junction with a crazy story.
When we reunited with the group, everyone was buzzing about something that had just happened in the news. This was the day that Phil Hartman (of Saturday Night Live and News Radio) was murdered. It kinda took the thunder away from our story, but what can I say? What a crazy story to live through. Makes me chuckle - and feel a lil guilty - when I think of it.
One of the great things about being a counselor for so many years in a row was getting to drive my own car to the camp. The first couple years I was a counselor, I had to ride the big yellow bus with all the screaming and pukey kids - for about four or five hours there and back. Driving my own car was awesome!!
The last year that I was a camp counselor, I had a crazy experience. The week went really well, the kids were great, everything was perfect. All of us counselors were dead tired by the time we were about to leave. I hopped in my (silent) car with a good friend named Lindsay. She rode with me to keep me company on the way home. It was nice to finally get a break from the loudness of sixth graders.
We drove from the Bodega Bay area towards the usual middle stopping point - Cordelia Junction. This was always the spot for lunch, and we were going to meet the rest of the group there.
We drove through the small town of Sebastopol and while Lindsay and I talked, she began to eat Pringles. I love Pringles! So, I asked if I could have some. She grabbed a big handful of Pringles and started to pass them to me. As she did this, a traffic light was turning red, so I began to make my stop. Just as she was about to hand the chips off to me - WHAM! - a car slammed into the rear of the car. Pringles flew everywhere! It was jarring. I was lucky enough to apply my brakes so I didn’t hit the car in front of me.
I was so pissed! I’m not sure if it was the fact that my car got hit, or I lost all my Pringles. The combination of both made me turn around and start yelling every profanity I knew, and I began pointing to the lady to pull over. She just sat there with a really dumb look on her face. Finally, the light turned green and I started to drive off. The car that hit me remained where it was. I figured that her engine was broken and her car was stuck in the middle of the road. I turned my car around and drove up to the light again, facing the opposite way as the traffic light turned red.
I sat there angry and really confused on what to do. I mean - what do you do when a random person rear-ends you in a town you've never been to?? We noticed (luckily) that a cop car was right behind the lady’s car. He had witnessed everything. How fortunate is that?
When the light turned green again, her car just sat there. We drove past and I gave her the dirtiest look I could possibly give. The cops lights began flashing as we drove past her. I didn't want to yell any profanities at her as I passed because the cop was right there.
The line of cars was really long because there was no movement from the broken down car, so it took a while for us to make a U turn and get in the line of waiting cars.
We waited five minutes. We began to hear sirens. Ten minutes. Still no movement. Cars behind us were turning around. Then, finally, we began to move forward. We got to the intersection where I had been hit and there was a cop directing traffic. The traffic lights were blinking red. I was thinking, “Gosh - what’s the big deal here? I just got rear-ended.” I pulled my window down and told the cop that the lady had hit me. He told me to drive over to an empty parking lot.
As we drove to the parking lot, we noticed street signs that were knocked down. I thought, “what the heck?” I got out of my car - and then I saw it. The lady’s car had plowed straight into the wall of a Bank of America. She was slumped over on her steering wheel - and she was dead. Dead! Ummm...
She had a heart attack while driving, and my rear bumper had been her brake. And I had yelled profanities at her. I gave her angry mean looks. And she was gone.
I yelled profanities at a dead lady! Seriously - how funny - and wrong is that??
And - how do you ask for insurance information when dealing with someone that is dead? Well, thankfully, my car had minimal damage. I had to give a statement, and I just let it all go. We drove off to Cordelia Junction with a crazy story.
When we reunited with the group, everyone was buzzing about something that had just happened in the news. This was the day that Phil Hartman (of Saturday Night Live and News Radio) was murdered. It kinda took the thunder away from our story, but what can I say? What a crazy story to live through. Makes me chuckle - and feel a lil guilty - when I think of it.
Death happens. It’s part of God’s plan. I don’t understand it very well - but I’m glad that I got to be a part of such a humorous goodbye from a random lady. I’ll never forget that woman who ruined my Pringles snack - I’m sure she was laughing all the way to heaven.
And I’ll try my best not to speak out of anger, because I don’t ever want to yell profanities at a dead person again. Definitely not my proudest moment. But it's a memory I'll have forever. Random.
Have a great day!
Jer
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