Avoided an accident

 Hello from Friday, the rain constant day here in Black Mountain.

But I'm also saying hello from the accident that didn't happen.

You know, you are changing lanes, going over to the slow lane because it's empty, but there's also a merging lane coming in. And apparently I was invisible to them, because I suddenly saw their front left wheel and bumper out my passenger side window! Coming at me, and by then the driver must have noticed me too. But I was the one who took action.

It was a foot away, and I turned back into the fast lane, avoiding the  crash. My friend on her way to a doctor's appointment has anxiety attacks. If this didn't give her one I'd be really surprised.

For me, the adrenalin rush was definitely there. I talked about it, giddy with gratitude to still be rolling along, where we exited at the next ramp.

In North Carolina, you must understand, on-ramp people come barreling out, with foot slammed on the accelerator.  If they passed a driver's test that said to merge into oncoming traffic after yielding to it, they have learned the opposite is the way the world works around here.

I sometimes will drive along a shoulder when my efforts to merge into traffic are thwarted by a semi truck. Honestly, I try a mixture of yielding and trying to get up to 70 mph by the time there's a gap.

But the usual traffic on the Interstate is also aware of this situation. Our on-ramps in the mountains are often just 1/3 or even 1/4th  of what is needed to merge into the fast traffic. I-26 is the worst I think. There on-coming cars are yielded to by the traffic on the highway...it's seen by everyone. Of course if you're from out-of-state, you may not notice it at first. 

And the real problem is when there's just too much traffic on the interstate to allow others to join at all.

So here I yam, another day alive, against some odds I'd imagine. My friend had her Dr. appointment, took a heavy duty pain pill, and was "feeling good" -  enough to go pick up chili and a baked potato at Wendy's. 

No mention was made of our brush with eternity.

Today's quote: (I swear this was just the next one in my file)

The ability to wake up to another new day — one with which we will surely need to wrestle and reckon, but one that will also teach and transform us … this is the unpromised gift for which to be grateful.

KRISTI NELSON