Your life is More important

On
a sunny and warm weekday last year I was headed home after a school
event. My two friends were in the car with me and we were singing
along to the radio and having a great time, but unfortunately that
day I wasn’t paying attention. A few minutes into our drive I
stopped at a stop sign. I quickly looked both ways and didn’t see
any cars coming, so I proceeded to drive straight through the
intersection. Just seconds later a heavy duty pick-up truck tee boned
us at 45mph and we flipped twice in the air and landed on the side of
the car. Little did I know that my life was changed forever.

I
crawled out of the roof of my Jeep Wrangler and saw parts of my car
scattered all over the road. My brain couldn’t grasp what had just
happened to me and my friends. Strangers were hopping out of their
cars and running over to my car to see if we were okay. The first
phone call I made once I found my phone was my dad. I told him what
had happened and to hurry. I was in shock of what happened and I
questioned how I could even be alive right now. My adrenaline was
high and my heart was racing. Cop cars and ambulances arrived and I
was being asked a million questions. Finally, my dad and brother
arrived and I was being put into an ambulance then driven to the
hospital. Later, when we got to the hospital, I got a room and I was
in a lot of pain. My brother and my dad stayed by my side the whole
time. My mom was in Florida for work when the accident happened, but
when she found out the news she got on a plane and headed straight
home. My friends and family were by my side to help me get through
this hard time.

The
hardest part about all of this was the mental aspect. I didn’t want
to drive again or even drive near the intersection where my accident
happened. I had nightmares for weeks and it was very hard for me to
sleep. A couple weeks later I went back to school. It was really hard
for me to come back to school because the loud bells and bright
lights hurt my head since I had a major concussion. A few weeks
passed and my mom said that I should try and practice driving again.
That was the one thing that I was most scared about. I was terrified
of getting in another car accident or even driving with other people.
It was something that I had to overcome and push through. I knew that
it would take time for me to drive again and I had to take things
very slow. I pushed myself and I knew that to get past this point I
had to be very strong. My life is more important than not paying
attention and having fun. This situation really changed me and it
made me realize that your life could either end or change in just
seconds.

My
life has been changed and my views are different. I believe that
everything happens for a reason and what happened to me and my
friends that day changed us for the better. It made us look at life
differently and really appreciate the people around us. I look back
at that day and it makes me very proud of where I am today. I am more
careful on the roads and I pay closer attention. Distracted driving
is not a matter to joke about. That day I was more worried about
having fun with my friends rather than paying attention to the road.
Your life is more important then anything else. I overcame a huge
obstacle and I got through some very tough times by pushing myself
and telling myself that everything is going to be okay.