Near Misses

It was an ordinary day. I was returning from a meeting in Memphis, driving along in the late morning sunshine. With a to-do list on my mind, I was eager to get started.

Out of habit, I used a familiar shortcut and turned onto the road next to the local hospital. From the corner of my eye, I noticed a large white van pulled over next to the main entrance. The vehicle blocked the view of the main driveway, but I hardly gave it much thought. My car was traveling in the far lane, unaffected by the stopped van.

Suddenly, a car came speeding out of the hospital parking lot, the hood aimed right for my passenger door. With everything I had, I swerved hard into the middle of the intersection. Miraculously, the other driver slammed on their brakes, screeching to a halt. We missed having an accident by mere inches.

For the rest of the day and for several days to follow, I was shaken, but also grateful.

The whole incident stayed with me and tugged at my thoughts. How many times have I survived a near miss? Yes, there are accidents and hardships, but how often have I simply taken off for a destination, unaware I was even in danger? Maybe I need to remember to be thankful for what doesn’t happen.

Now when I get the car, I pause. It’s an open road and there are no guarantees. If I can just make it back home then I might have already had the best part of the day.