Today I almost died

(I wrote this Tuesday, February 1st 4:00)

Today I almost died. And that is not the climax of this story. I woke up this morning to many Facebook statuses declaring snow, but to my great displeasure, on of these came from someone living in the same neighborhood as me. It was in this moment that I knew today would be a bad day. But I had a list of things to get done and Texas’ common excuse for snow would not deter me. Little did I realize that this was not TXs common excuse for snow but a rather uncommon layer of ice. The roads were paved with ice. I was not concerned! I drove at a slow reasonable pace, rarely accelerating over 30. I quickly learned that stopping was a bad idea as getting that initial momentum was difficult to do without swerving. And alone on the highway, I was not concerned. But then more Texans came out to face the day and danger mounted. I was less than pleased with the idea of driving past someone who was swerving (what if he swerved into me and pushed me off the road?!?!) But stopping to wait for them to regain control only caused me to swerve dangerously. Sometimes I was afraid that I wouldn’t regain control myself. Once, I slide so badly that cried out in terror. The steep frozen ditches, I knew, would not be kind. But I straightened myself and finally turned on the road that opened to my neighborhood.
I was surprised to see the ice had melted on this road there the tires worn through. But this pleasant surprise was not to last. I came across a police car and two SUVs which had fallen down the steep shoulder. A pickup with huge monster wheels was trying to pull one out but was slipping himself. I watched as the other tried to drive on to the road but only to fall further and further back. Once the man in the monster pickup parked and got out to talk to the cop. When he left his vehicle, it began to slip sideways off the road. My concern crescendo-ed into terror. These big SUVs can’t get their bearing, how will I in my old lady car? The man who’s helping can hardly keep his car on the road!
The officer came over to me and said that I couldn’t get up the hill. He told me to find another route. “But, officer, I live at the top of the hill!” His response did not leave me confident that I would be able to navigate the twisted uphill road. He said that the man with the monster truck could spin me around (spin!?!?) but I’d have to sit at the wheel. Seeing those SUVs slip back as they were being pulled, no control of themselves either way, I thought the dose of adrenaline I’d get if that happened to me would be lethal! So I admitted my fear. Another man came to man my steering wheel and they turned my car around in manner that I know I would not have been able to do so well. But where could I go? My house was uphill. Everywhere was closed. I didn’t want to face the highway I had just been on again. So I called my coach and he told me that a woman who volunteered for PBT lived just downhill from where I was and would welcome me into her home while I was unable to get to mine. So I’ve been at this lovely house for 4 hours now with the beautiful grandmotherly volunteer, a friend of mine, and two Missionary Care personnel who happen to be staying here. We had lunch, and coffee, and baked brownies, and told stories. It was a good place to rest from the day’s misadventures. But I have a ratatouille party tonight and must return to my house! I hope the Sandman will have come and made the hill passable!