The moments that make you think

On Tuesday, I was headed down the Interstate on the way to work when WHAM-- the hood of the car flew up and broke the windshield. The noise was so loud-- like a gunshot or something. I actually kept driving for a second before it sank in. I had to slow down and pull over. Fortunately, there was a big shoulder on the side. I was able to make it over and safely stop the car. Even though I was away from the traffic lanes, the car shook with the wind coming across the overpass and all the trucks going by. I called Eddie, and he had a co-worker give him a ride to where I was. We managed to secure the hood and take it to the mechanic that was not too far away.

I had a feeling that something like this could happen, though it was a surprise when it actually did. We had been having trouble with the hood for several weeks. Two different mechanics would "fix" it, only to have it come up again. I guess it was only fixed if you never opened the hood again. The problem was, we had to open the hood that morning to jump start Eddie's car. I didn't think the hood closed properly afterward, but it seemed secure enough. We both had driven the car with the hood like that without incident. It seemed that our luck had finally run out. Or had it?

The first response of most people we told about the accident was wide-eyed disbelief and horror. Yes, it was an awful and scary thing to happen, but on the other hand, by some stroke of luck (or divine intervention??) there were no cars ahead, behind or to the side of me on the Interstate, so I was able to pull over without hitting anyone else. What are the chances of that? Plus, the windshield cracked but it did not break. It could have shattered and thrown pieces of glass into my face. The hood could have flown off and caused a problem in the roadway. As it turned out, I was unharmed, and we did not even have to spend money on a tow truck. (The repairs to the car are another story). When I left the house, I was frustrated because I was running late and really needed to get to the office. How my priorities shifted in an instant. Things seem random sometimes, but maybe they are not. It made me stop and think about how fortunate I was in that moment and really most of the time. I can't really complain. Someone is watching over me.