I don’t think about dying all that much, but I have been since I was almost killed yesterday. Driving south along US Highway 17 at around 50 MPH, the traffic light turned yellow. I’m not one of those panicked drivers who slam on the brakes at a yellow light. I gauge the distance to the intersection, how big the intersection is, if there’s anyone waiting to turn left who is expecting me to stop, etc. before I make the call. Well, this was a very large intersection with someone waiting to turn left from the opposing direction, and I was quite a distance from the intersection. So I applied the brakes and looked in the rear view mirror. A Mack truck was right behind me, and had no intention of stopping. He swerved left and sped by me horn blaring as he barreled through the intersection with the light solidly red.
I sat there wondering if I’d have survived the impact and I’m not being melodramatic when I say I don’t think I would have. I am in a rental Nissan Sentra, which is so light the wind blows me around on the road. The semi was not fully loaded, towing an empty trailer, but it was easily doing at least 50 MPH. Of course I then had to ponder the exact cause of death and whether it would have hurt, whether I’d have had time to register the pain and even reflect on my death, or if I’d just be gone. Just nothing. No opportunity to consider it all. Non-existence. It’s a hell of a thing to try to wrap one’s mind around.
Joe's Blog 