This Monday started just like any other day or at least any
other Monday with the alarm going off at 6:30am. The first thing to do of course is to check
my calendar on the phone to make sure I don’t miss anything on the day’s
schedule.
As soon as I reached Malibu Diamond gym for my morning
workout, I was shocked to find out that the gym was vandalized overnight. It
was terrible to see the glass broken everywhere and finding out that someone
broke into my home-away-from- home, where most of my mornings are spent. As I finally got on the stepper and tried to
get a workout, my son called with the saddest news. He had just found out that
one of his childhood friends had suddenly died and no one knew why and how.
It was a little too much early in the morning. The sadness
of losing a young life like that was unbearable and I had a good cry.
Somehow got through the workout and was driving home, slowly
going up the hill as I enjoy driving every day. Suddenly, I felt good as I saw my friend Hermine walking down the hill. I decided to stop and say hello. Hermine likes to talk. She likes to tell stories. So to save her from standing in the middle of the road as she would normally do to tell me something, I decided to pull over onto a very narrow
shoulder. NOT A GOOD IDEA. PLEASE DO
NOT EVER DO THAT ON A STEEP HILL OVERLOOKING A VERY LOW CANYON AND NOT IN A
REGULAR LOW TIRE CAR. Well I did it and learned the hard way what a horrible
mistake that was.
Once the story was finished and after a few laughs between
friends and saying bye to Hermine, I tried to pull out onto the road again and
the scariest thing happened. The tires were spinning but not willing to move
forward, instead the car started slipping back and I realized I was very close
to the edge and if I tried to move again the car could easily go over with me
in it. If there was a chance to get out of this, I had to drive in reverse
while staying very close to the road.
Problem is I AM NOT A
VERY GOOD REVERSE DRIVER. Today, at this moment, when I am hanging over
the edge, I so wished I had practiced driving in reverse. IT WAS SO SCARY. I WAS TREMBLING, ALMOST
PARALYZED AND STUCK TO THE SEAT.
Hermine tried to help. Then tried to flag someone driving up
the hill for help. Finally a good Samaritan stopped. His name was Ron, and he
tried to guide me in my reverse driving pursuit, but when he realized I might
make a slight fatal mistake and drive right off the cliff, he offered to do it
for me. I put the car in park and
somehow slid out of it. He took my seat and like a pro drove backwards hugging
the road and eventually when I saw one tire coming back on the road I knew the
danger was over and we will be fine.
I could not believe that time passed and I was actually
driving back home. I trembled and cried
for almost three more hours. My body was so tight from shaking and my head was
hurting.
Thank you JC for the tea and eggs to calm me down. It was an unbelievably interesting day for sure.
Advise from Captain Chris McKernan, Firestation 71, Malibu. In any car accident, get out of the car as
soon as you can. Your safety is more important than the car.