Life always finds a way to open your eyes

It was Thursday, November 16th, at 4pm. I was driving my car to go to my house. I was the only one in the car. Even though I wore sunglasses, the sun that afternoon was looking right into my eyes. Nevertheless, I didn’t have difficulty discerning the road and the cars.

As I approached my home, I lowered my speed and lit the right index of the car because I was about to turn to the right. To turn around, however, I would have to cross the adjacent lane of the road. So, I had to check first if cars passed from the opposite lane before I turn. And that’s what I did. As I said before, the sun continued to emit quite a point almost opposite my eyes. So, despite the great sunlight, and since I was absolutely certain that no other car was passing across the opposite lane, I turned to the right to go to my house.

It was a little difficult for me to write this text and by writing it I made several pauses by thinking about what happened right afterwards.

It all happened very quickly and suddenly. Since I remember myself trying to turn right, after that the only thing I have in my memory is like a slow-motion video. All I remember is to be in the car, to lose control of the steering wheel, the car was shaking and I was watching crushed pieces of glass falling over the adjacent seat and spreading across the car. Immediately afterwards, I remember the car stopping in a small ditch, which was right next to the road and the turn. Just in front of my car was another car stuck with its front face right into my car’s face and half of it was in the street lane.

When I saw this scene while I was still in the car, then I realized that there was a crash and once I saw what my car was looking like on the inside, I lost the ground under my feet. I remember feeling glass pieces in my shoes and my right arm hurting. I took out the seat belt and got off the car. Emotionally it is very difficult to bring these moments back to my memory. All I was thinking about was that the damage was too great and it was the first time I had ever had a car experience like this. Luckily, none of the two drivers were seriously injured.

What happened was that as I turned to the right, another car as it came from the lane I was crossing, collided on the passenger's left door, I lost control and the car made a turn of 180 degrees to the right and stopped with its front face to be on the road. The other car, in all of this from the conflict scene, stopped face to face with mine.

The first thing I did was to call my dad, who was in his job. After a while, the police of the area came to settle the formal procedure for the accident and to facilitate road traffic because the other car was halfway inside the road.

Maybe the sun or the speed of the other vehicle, led to all that. I continued to say that the road was empty before I turned. And I was absolutely sure. I had the image of the road in my mind. I still can’t understand how I didn’t realize the moment that car hit me. I don’t even remember any sound. I can’t even remember a moment from that. As if there is no memory in my head. I don’t know why and how. It remains a mystery to me. Only by thinking that I may have lost my senses just for a while frightens me. But I remember the next minute when the car was shaking.

Also, I can’t believe that all this happened just a few meters outside my home. From that day, every time I go through that turn, the image comes to my mind and makes me afraid and worried that something similar might happen every time we pass. It's tragic.

Investigating the situation, the police saw that the other car started to brake 30 meters away from the point of conflict. The only conclusion I get from this fact is that it was running at a speed beyond the limit. It seemed to me a long enough distance for someone to step on the brake 30 meters before and not to stop in a shorter distance. The speed limit was 65 km. On the road there were traces of his tires and they were very distinct, which made me think how fast it was running and therefore with how much power he tried to stop. However, the police's conclusion was that at 30 meters I could easily see visually if a car was coming. As they meant, the responsibility was mine. Then my brother came, the roadside assistance, my uncle who accidentally passed from there, my mom, my aunt, my sister and my cousins.

All this process took many hours and had already been dark. When I went home with my parents then we went to the first aid to the hospital because they wanted to be sure I didn’t have any serious injury. All I felt was the pain in my right arm that was torn and worn because of the friction created by the conflict and pain in the waist region. The next day I realized I was hurting too much around my neck and so I went to the doctor. I had to wear a collar around my neck for a while because the pain was created by the jolt of the conflict.

The first two days after the accident bringing the incident to my mind and how I experienced it within the vehicle, I could not even hold my tears. The whole scene in the car was unprecedented to me and something I never thought I was going to experience. Something that nobody should never experience. Now I can understand the shock of those who have suffered a road crash like this. Only the idea that something worse could happen to me and the idea that my own people were thinking about it made me frighten and cry every time. Although it sounds melodramatic, all this taught me too much. When I saw how the front door was turned from the collision, then I cried. I had now become aware of how severe the accident could have been. If I had another co-driver with me? Relative or friend? I really don’t even want to think about it but I was grateful that I was even okay and I was breathing, despite the injuries. When I saw the door, I handed my testimony to a police officer. With the shock I had suffered and the view I saw, the policeman told me that it would be good to light a candle to Jesus at the church for not being in the other position of the vehicle and for being fine. That bent me even more. And it still buckles me.

The crash happened 4 days before I went to Athens to see my best friend who is studying there. I was so excited to go not only because I missed her so much, but also because I was in such a bad psychological state in the last period of time. Nevertheless, I went to Athens. I don’t know how but she always do her magic and makes me really happy.

This crash has made me realize that life is really very small. In seconds, it is lost in front of your eyes. Or even before even opening your eyes. I never thought I would be able to write something like these phrases. Now I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason. Maybe this happened to appreciate some things I didn’t appreciate much before. In order to understand that the things I was upset or worrying about or made me sad before, were just bullshit. For a long time, my attention was on insignificant things. After the accident I can’t stop blaming myself for the concern and sorrow I caused to my own people. It's a horrible feeling (she writes crying...). I could not believe that they had gone through this bad experience because of me. I can say I was upset about my car because it would be a complete year since I started driving it. And it is very little time. I realized that I will be deprived of it for some time until it will be repaired.

Earlier I mentioned all those who came there that day. The reason I did it is because I realized the importance of having a family and relatives and if you have them then it is impossible to be alone or feel alone. I felt so so lucky. At that moment the psychological support from all of them was what I really needed. And all this love has made me even more overwhelmed.

Life is a treasure. The most precious. And even more is your family and the people who you love and love you. But, life can go away without even realizing it. So watch yourself and those around you. If you are not 100% sure about something then do not do it. And if there is even one element that can make it harder for you then take the safest way.