29 Comments

Glad to know you and Layla are alright. I hope this wasn't recent, but if it was, take care of yourself.

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Thank you, Latham. It happened last Tuesday. It's definitely fresh in my mind and body still. I will take your advice.

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Grateful you are ok. 🙌🏼

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Thanks, Steven. :)

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Omg. I’m so glad you’re okay. So too Layla.

I’m also completely awestruck that you’ve turned this horror of an experience into such a riveting read. I read it all holding my breath, forgetting to exhale till your last “We’re okay.”

Sending healing energies to you and everyone at home and lots of good vibes to the kind man. 💜💜

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Thank you so much, Malavika. Pretty immediately following the crash, I was already writing in my head. I think in a traumatic event like this, the details happen in slow motion and are much easier to remember.

I will take all the healing energies, and yes, all the good vibes to that kind and wonderful man! Thank you.

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Glad to hear you survived relatively unscathed. Scary thing.

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Thanks so much, John. So scary and so lucky.

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Thank goodness for life safety.You’re indeed very lucky!I wish you quick recovery.

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Thank you, Olufunmi.

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dang this was so intense to read i'm very very very glad yall are ok

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Thanks, Alex.

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So grateful to hear you and Layla are okay. And thank you for sharing this story — there's a lot of kindness and love shining through a really difficult situation.

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Thank you, Nic. This was an easy story to share. It fell out of me pretty quickly, along with the tears.

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Grateful Charlie and Layla are okay! Scary stuff!

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Thank you, Scott. So scary.

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I don't know when this happened. Grateful that you and Laila are ok.

I echo your well told "as it happened" split-second conversation. And +1 to the paramedics ... My suggestion start physio quickly. The longer you leave it thinking "it wasn't much" the longer it takes for the muscle memory to be undone.

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Hey Karena, it happened last Tuesday. You would never know Layla was in a car accident. I'm still recovering, but I'll be fine.

When you say physio, what exactly do you mean? Just any physical movement?

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A physiotherapist. I had whiplash that took 6 months to undo. And I was not traveling that fast at the time, but ended up as the jam in a car sandwich.

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Oof. Brutal. And 6 months, too! I'll look into a physiotherapist. Thanks for the tip.

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I think it would have been a lot less if I had addressed it earlier/closer to the accident, before my body contorted and settled into muscle memory. Hence my push alert to you.

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You told this very well. And of course, I'm happy that you and your daughter are okay! Quite a few years ago, my car broke down on the side of an interstate. And while I was waiting for AAA to arrive, a person came out of the darkness and walked onto the interstate right in front of me. A few seconds later, he was run over and killed. I knelt by the body until police arrived. Anyway, since then, I have made it a habit to always stop when I see an accident and try to help in any way I can. I have done this at least a dozen times since seeing that person killed.

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OMG Jim, that's horrible. I'm so sorry.

My husband and I have been saying all week how we will definitely stop the next time we see an accident. It's so scary to be in an accident, so when someone is there to help, it means absolutely everything.

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So glad you and your daughter are okay, Charlie! 💛

I was in an accident many years ago and relate to this so much:

“First my brain screamed, *“Wrong wrong wrong.”*

 The way I thought the world was supposed to work had stopped working.”

I didn’t drive for quite a while after it because I felt a new fear of “wow, accidents can happen *so* fast.” It made getting behind the wheel again extra hard, so my advice is to work through any fear you have sooner than later but of course, be patient with yourself.

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Thanks, Alexandra. Ugh, yes. I was just thinking how until you've been in a car accident, you really can't understand how scary it is.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, or both, I have had to drive nearly every day since, and on Market St, and right past the spot where I crashed. I still have anxiety, but we got a new car Friday, so I at least feel safer in our car.

Also, I'm glad you were okay.

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I'm so glad y'all are okay. Market Street is probably the worst part about this whole city - you captured the terror perfectly. (Weird to thing to say, but I think you know what I mean.)

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Chrissy! Thank you. And yes, I know exactly what you mean. Be careful out there.

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You just have to be very careful to not get hit by a car while helping others!

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Very good point!

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