You know those online quiz-things of the "chances of how you will die?"
I've never seen this on that list.
Last week I atteneded the National Youth Workers Convention in Anaheim, CA. Because it was so close to home, I carpooled every day with our youth pastor, Dave. The convention was awesome, but that story is written someplace else. This is a story of how I almost died, and experianced the protection of my God.
During the last day of the convention, on the way to Anaheim, Dave’s Jeep overheated and we got off the freeway and stopped at Action Auto. How did we decide on them, you ask? They were the closest place off of the Orangethrope avenue exit. But they were cool, they do detailing, and sell fantastically large fancy rims, and we just a got a really nice vibe from everyone that worked there, including the owner, who recommended we wait across the street at Liquid Zoo. Good times.
Dave’s Friend also showed up, and gave us a ride back from the convention to Action Auto, where they still had not finished working on the jeep. That’s when we hit the Zoo.
After a $400+ bill it was determined that the Jeep blew a head gasket, and it was about time to say goodbye. While standing at the counter discussing the possibility of driving it back to L.A., SCREECH and BANG! Were the noises of the day, and the owner of Action and his team leapt from their chairs and bolted out the back door toward the noise.
Dave and I also made our way to the customer door to see what got hit.
Dave, having made it to the glass door first, and saw what was outside turned to me about nine feet behind, as I looked out the big showroom window.
A car barreling towards the window with an elderly couple coming in reverse (just like the commercial with the deli) smashed through hit a few 18 and 24 inch rims, and continued past me hitting stacks of tires, and ultimately pinning a soda machine against the wall crushing it like a can of pop. I’m told that the wheels of the car kept spinning until an Action employee convinced the driver to take his foot off of the accelerator.
All I knew was that while the car went past, a 24-inch rim bounced off the ground right towards me. I told the police that although it hit me in the knees, I pushed it back with my hand. Dave’s version makes more sense: the rim bounced, I lifted my knee to protect my vitals, and stuck out my hands to cradle the giant piece of metal. It pushed me back and I hit the counter next to the back of the waiting area couch.
I remember making contact with the rim, pushing it away. Freaking out and jumping over the couch to lie down, sure as any 6-year old that hiding on a couch is one of the safest places to be.
Dave came over, as I shot out half sentences, getting across my point that, where the car stopped, with it’s spinning tires was where I had been standing before going to see what caused the noise.
Dave who had been hit with shattered glass, stood there trying to calm me down, and then went outside with our friend who saw the whole thing from the front of the place.
An employee shouted, “Everyone out of the showroom, now!”
I freaked, and thought, It’s gonna blow up!”
I jumped and ran outside, running like a funky chicken with injured knees.
The owner saw me as I was searching for a curb to sit down on, and asked, “Are YOU okay?”
Still in shock, and adrenaline pumping I blurted, “Yeah, I’m hurt but I’m okay.”
He and Dave almost angrily responded more to my condition than what I said, “Get back in there and lie down.”
With no hesitation, I obeyed happily.
The police arrived and then the paramedics, who had me wiggle my toes (already had tried that successfully- thank you Hollywood movies!), and rotate my ankles, and push down on his hands with my heel, and other parts of my foot.
The cop had told me that the adrenaline was keeping me from feeling the pain of my swelling knee, and that in a few minutes I’d start to feel it. And when I went from repeating, I’m okay. I’m okay, to laborious breathing, he said, “I told you.”
“Ooooh. Yaah. Oooooh. Shhh.”
Dave and his friend ended up taking me to the emergency room where I got x-rayed for the first time, and made most, if not all of the nurses laugh.
As I was leaving one said, “You’re so cute! ‘A big wheel came and hit me!’”
As it turns out, I have (had?)
-an ABRASION of the skin,
-a CONTUSION on my lower extremity (leg, the paper specifies, in case I couldn’t tell from the pain),
-a tetanus shot,
-a note that says I could have taken today off of work,
-a prescription for Ibuprofen,
-no broken bones (in accordance with the scripture and the promise in the Psalms that I have held dearly to since a young age), and
-no ligament damage (the doctor was impressed with my ligaments. I was flattered).
Auto Action had several security cameras for the showroom floor, and I had noticed earlier that the monitor behind the desk showed very clear images of the secure area.
I hope that they took very good shots of the area when it was not so secure, and that you, youtube and I can all watch and re-watch how I almost died on the way home from the National Youth Workers Convention… which, by the way was really awesome.
Last week I atteneded the National Youth Workers Convention in Anaheim, CA. Because it was so close to home, I carpooled every day with our youth pastor, Dave. The convention was awesome, but that story is written someplace else. This is a story of how I almost died, and experianced the protection of my God.
During the last day of the convention, on the way to Anaheim, Dave’s Jeep overheated and we got off the freeway and stopped at Action Auto. How did we decide on them, you ask? They were the closest place off of the Orangethrope avenue exit. But they were cool, they do detailing, and sell fantastically large fancy rims, and we just a got a really nice vibe from everyone that worked there, including the owner, who recommended we wait across the street at Liquid Zoo. Good times.
Dave’s Friend also showed up, and gave us a ride back from the convention to Action Auto, where they still had not finished working on the jeep. That’s when we hit the Zoo.
After a $400+ bill it was determined that the Jeep blew a head gasket, and it was about time to say goodbye. While standing at the counter discussing the possibility of driving it back to L.A., SCREECH and BANG! Were the noises of the day, and the owner of Action and his team leapt from their chairs and bolted out the back door toward the noise.
Dave and I also made our way to the customer door to see what got hit.
Dave, having made it to the glass door first, and saw what was outside turned to me about nine feet behind, as I looked out the big showroom window.
A car barreling towards the window with an elderly couple coming in reverse (just like the commercial with the deli) smashed through hit a few 18 and 24 inch rims, and continued past me hitting stacks of tires, and ultimately pinning a soda machine against the wall crushing it like a can of pop. I’m told that the wheels of the car kept spinning until an Action employee convinced the driver to take his foot off of the accelerator.
All I knew was that while the car went past, a 24-inch rim bounced off the ground right towards me. I told the police that although it hit me in the knees, I pushed it back with my hand. Dave’s version makes more sense: the rim bounced, I lifted my knee to protect my vitals, and stuck out my hands to cradle the giant piece of metal. It pushed me back and I hit the counter next to the back of the waiting area couch.
I remember making contact with the rim, pushing it away. Freaking out and jumping over the couch to lie down, sure as any 6-year old that hiding on a couch is one of the safest places to be.
Dave came over, as I shot out half sentences, getting across my point that, where the car stopped, with it’s spinning tires was where I had been standing before going to see what caused the noise.
Dave who had been hit with shattered glass, stood there trying to calm me down, and then went outside with our friend who saw the whole thing from the front of the place.
An employee shouted, “Everyone out of the showroom, now!”
I freaked, and thought, It’s gonna blow up!”
I jumped and ran outside, running like a funky chicken with injured knees.
The owner saw me as I was searching for a curb to sit down on, and asked, “Are YOU okay?”
Still in shock, and adrenaline pumping I blurted, “Yeah, I’m hurt but I’m okay.”
He and Dave almost angrily responded more to my condition than what I said, “Get back in there and lie down.”
With no hesitation, I obeyed happily.
The police arrived and then the paramedics, who had me wiggle my toes (already had tried that successfully- thank you Hollywood movies!), and rotate my ankles, and push down on his hands with my heel, and other parts of my foot.
The cop had told me that the adrenaline was keeping me from feeling the pain of my swelling knee, and that in a few minutes I’d start to feel it. And when I went from repeating, I’m okay. I’m okay, to laborious breathing, he said, “I told you.”
“Ooooh. Yaah. Oooooh. Shhh.”
Dave and his friend ended up taking me to the emergency room where I got x-rayed for the first time, and made most, if not all of the nurses laugh.
As I was leaving one said, “You’re so cute! ‘A big wheel came and hit me!’”
As it turns out, I have (had?)
-an ABRASION of the skin,
-a CONTUSION on my lower extremity (leg, the paper specifies, in case I couldn’t tell from the pain),
-a tetanus shot,
-a note that says I could have taken today off of work,
-a prescription for Ibuprofen,
-no broken bones (in accordance with the scripture and the promise in the Psalms that I have held dearly to since a young age), and
-no ligament damage (the doctor was impressed with my ligaments. I was flattered).
Auto Action had several security cameras for the showroom floor, and I had noticed earlier that the monitor behind the desk showed very clear images of the secure area.
I hope that they took very good shots of the area when it was not so secure, and that you, youtube and I can all watch and re-watch how I almost died on the way home from the National Youth Workers Convention… which, by the way was really awesome.