Alive

I remember it like it happened this morning. It was a beautiful summer drive from Indiana to Michigan. The sun was shining, the windows were cracked and the music was loud. I had just wrapped a 3 week cycling trip from Bloomington, Indiana to Bar Harbor Maine and I was heading back to my summer apartment in Holland, Michigan. I was happy. How could you not be? 20-years-old with no real responsibility and a free summer vacation courtesy of your friend's parents? How could you not be perfectly content?

Suddenly, the semi in front of me slammed on its brakes. Traffic was flowing at a fast 65 miles per hour and i was surrounded by Michigan drivers. I knew this could not be good. I glanced in my rear view mirror noticing a red explorer tailgating me. I tapped my breaks realizing this would not end if I slammed them. I had a split second to make a decision. I could go right into the traffic next to me. I could stay in my lane and slam into the semi or I could take a chance and veer left to try to avoid the situation all together.

I chose left as the red explorer slammed on his brakes stopping inches short of the semi narrowly missing a collision. That gap between him and the semi, that gap was where my 1994 camry would have been. I would have been sandwhiched between an explorer and a semi.

That decision to veer left...it saved my life. There is no doubt about it. I quickly brought my car to a stop on the side of the interstate. I shakingly burried my head in my hands realizing the magnitude of what just happened. Here I was 20-years-old, 4 years driving experience and I was almost involved in a major accident. Once i finally got up the courage to get back on the interstate I drove miles to the nearest rest stop and curled up into a tiny ball.

I had never felt so alive.