I was in the states for about 4 1/2 months. I lived in a house full of white people. It was a hugely different environment and for the most parts it was pretty great. Psychologists say that a person can handle only a maximum of 3 radical changes at any given time. More than 3 big simultaneous changes in our lives could give rise to harmful behavior. I tried my best to adjust. I have a few regrets but it's all in the past now. I didn't have a car while i was in the states, so the only cars i would get to drive were my friends' (i drove 4 different kinds). This one time, when Dan and Rose Sullivan went on a vacation, they left me their very nice Ford Focus (??) so i could drive down the street to their house to feed their cats. They filled up the tank for me and i drove them to the airport in downtown Philly, 45 minutes away. They didn't wanna miss their flight, so Dan asked me to step on it--go 80 miles per hour (which is 128kph for us in the Philippines. YIKES). I was absolutely terrified flying down the freeway like that. But we all got there in one piece. It was literally a miracle. I'm pretty sure i peed a little bit in my pants.
But that's not the worst part. The worst part was when i decided to head out to the Outlet Center to do a little shopping. It's normally 30mins away. But being the inexperienced GPS-reliant tourist that i am, i always take at least 3 wrong turns--despite the fact that the GPS is turned up to maximum volume and i am 27 years old. At one point i even found myself driving to the state of Delaware. I'm not ashamed. I had such a good laugh. But back to my story now. So there i was in the middle lane on the freeway where i could just go 60mph listening to endless indie, taking it all in. After some time, it started to rain and in a matter of seconds turned into a torrential downpour. I could not see anything in front of me. Water was splashing on my windshield from every direction from the cars that would pass me. But i couldn't start slowing down at the time when i knew the cars behind me couldn't see me either. It was a complete nightmare. I couldn't see the signs and the off ramps. If a car had stopped in front of me or had slowed down for any reason at all, that would've been the end of it. Looking back on it today, i still can't believe the miracle of that drive. People had actually stopped on the side of the road to wait it out. But somehow i found my exit and and went back to my usual MO of finding myself a few miles down the wrong street. I remember even going down a street in the wrong direction--this was another day though, and in another car. One time, i even attempted to turn around and drove myself straight into a Police parking lot. I dunno why i was nervous about that. I mean, being an Asian female driver is hardly a crime.
But this one particular day, i guess i was going a little too fast on wet road. See, i've never really slowed down driving in CDO when it rained. I never really found the slippery road to be dangerous. But i was going up a small hill and as i was 2 seconds from the top i saw that the traffic light had turned red. It was drizzling and the street was just the right kind of wet. I didn't have enough time to slow down. I was going like 65mph. I froze. I couldn't move my feet. Time stood still. I thought to myself "I'm just gonna crash. I'm just gonna crash." I knew i hadn't put enough pressure on the brakes to put the car to a complete stop. But somehow i just didn't even try anymore. I didn't think it was gonna make a difference. The car had already hydroplaned (hydroplane = slide uncontrollably). By a miracle, though, without even thinking about it anymore, my foot just pressed on the brakes a little harder and the car stopped. But i waited for the driver in front of me to react. He didn't. I was about half an inch away from hitting him. My knees felt so weak. As soon as the light turned green, i turned right into the nearest parking lot and just cried. I couldn't believe how close i got to getting seriously hurt and wrecking my friend's car. I just had to pray. I couldn't imagine what would've happened if GOD hadn't protected me. I really don't believe i'm anything special. My skills and talents, my gifts, hopes and ambitions and who i am is nothing out of the ordinary. But HE saved me from harm that day and it really blew my mind. I wonder what it is HE had planned for me that HE has to preserve me? I wonder why HE loves me so much.
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