Another Check

Yesterday's post was entitled "A Day of Firsts" . . . here's the second "first":

I got into my first car accident last night.

It wasn't serious. And I wasn't shaken by it. But I was in one nontheless.

I find it ironic that whenever there seems to be a first day of live activity for Patch, I find myself in strange scenarios involving my car. Back in May, the day Greg and I started putting samples and electronics down in preparation for the whole band experience, I got pulled over in my own driveway for running a red light. The cop had witnessed someone getting their face blown off just prior and was in a complete tiff, disregarding any of my claims of dumbfoundness pertaining to the backslap of the red light. I got off, having persisted in my asking of "which light did I run through?" We made peace.

Yesterday, after a post-practice Spring Street Tavern celebration, I was giving Adri a ride home to Uptown. On 8th St. and University Ave. in Northeast, the light had just turned green for me. I started to slowly go through, a good five seconds after the light had turned. Some weirdo who was stopped perpendicular on the other street, who had a red light, started going slowly through the intersection. I had gone too far out into the middle of the street, so that even if I had stopped, he would have barreled into me. So I sped up to get out of this asshole's way, since he wasn't stopping. A good ten cars were idling on his street, and it seemed like such a buffoon move. I remember yelling and picturing a dunce cap covering the roof of the car.

He clipped my rear right door.

I pulled over immediately, and he turned and parked behind me. I got out, so did the person in the other car. The man who got out was an older man, perhaps in his late 30's/early 40's. He had a five o' clock shadow, and I couldn't help but think "failure". He said, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I was distracted, I'm sorry."

The damage done to my car was a couple of ripples in the siding of the door, nothing serious. I have scrapes on the rear bumper that are worse. I sighed and looked at his car. His front bumper was scraped up and his license plate was hanging askew. He got it worse than I did. I nodded to myself and said internally, "He got it worse. Everything's fine." I shook his hand, no harm done, really. Adri and I got back in the car and drove off.

We talked about it for another two minutes, then went back to talking Patch. Another thing to add to the list of adventures experienced.

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros -- "Home"