My Mortality

Accidents - you never really give much thought to them until it happens to you. I didn't get into one and never have, but a recent tragedy in my neighborhood prompted me to think twice about accidents.

On Tuesday earlier this week, when Alex and I were driving home from work, we noticed that traffic around on Bothell Way, the main street to our house is unbelievably heavy. The next day, we noticed that the corner of 73rd and Bothell Way was sealed off by a metal fence and flowers were placed. Alex actually saw two women standing at the corner, crying. This made us curious; we googled the street corner to see what had happened and we found this - on Tuesday at about 4pm, a group of pedestrians waiting to cross the street were hit by a utility truck. One of the victims was pushed by the truck and pinned between the truck and a light pole. She died instantaneously. Another passenger was thrown 20 feet; one was thrown underneath the truck.

Accidents - it could happen to you. I could very well be one of those people hit. They were just getting of the 522 bus, waiting to cross the street to the park and ride. Had I not come to Microsoft, 522 is the bus I take every day to and from work. The park and ride they're heading to is the same park and ride I would use every day. It could have been me standing at that corner, crushed to death, remains splattered. The most frightening part of this tragedy is that these people were not doing anything deemed dangerous or risky. Two cars colliding is common, but a standing pedestrian struck, crushed and pinned is not.

You can argue that one of the drivers wasn't paying attention and this could have been avoided. But to me, accidents seem like the doing of fate. I could wake up one day and that could be the last day of my life. There is no way of telling. I panic a little at the thought of this. I panic a lot at the thought of this happening to Alex or my mom. It makes me realize how vulnerable we all are and how little control we have sometimes.

Accidents - I wish I had an answer for them. I wish I could say believe in God and all will be answered. I wish I could say it will never happen to me. But I can't. All I can do is pray that it doesn't happen to me.