White Out

It snowed badly the other night. I mean really bad. Since I'm a special kind of unaware at times I didn't realize it was going to snow so badly. If I had, I wouldn't have gone out. However, I didn't so I did. During the course of the evening I glanced out a window to find it snowing. I was happy to be inside. When I glanced again it had stopped. "WOOHOO! I win this one," I thought to myself. Not only did it snow, but it had stopped and I wouldn't have to drive home in it. Yeah, you know what's coming next . . . .

So it was time to leave and I looked out once again. CRAP MONKEY! It was coming down quite nicely. It was now time to face the reality that I was going to have to drive in this crap I couldn't stay where I was. (Trust me, if I could have I would have.) I had plenty of reservations about driving in this white out. So, I started my car to give it a chance to warm-up and I proceeded to brush off the snow that had piled up on it. It was after I finished that I really realized how bad it really was. Snow had already started to accumulate on the windows again. I mean the kind of accumulations that was sticking and wouldn't just melt off. Finally, I put the car in reverse and made the journey back home.

This was the first time I had ever driven in a white out snow fall. I swear I could not see what was in front of me. Ok, I could any sort of light that was on (head lights, tail lights and stop lights). I guess you can say I saw all the "major" things. However, I had no clue where in the road I was or if there was a car next to me. All I knew was when I started I was in the right hand lane. Sometime I felt comfortable moving over more to the right, but then I feared I'd end up being one of those drivers featured on the 10 o'clock news because they were used as an example of people who was stranded in the crappy weather. Other times I started moving towards the left hand lane only to fear there might be another car in what I what would under normal conditions be the blind spot. I think at one point a car did pass me on from the left. All I know is that I was to the right of the cars going the opposite direction and at that moment that is what mattered most to me.

During all this I found myself wondering if this was the stupidest driving move I had ever pulled in my life. I mean, I admit it. I've pulled some stupid moves while driving (none of which I will list out here), but this seemed to take the cake. I also found myself negotiated with G-d. If G-d got me out the situation, and home as well, without any drama I promised I would . . . well, actually I don't think I actually figured out what my promise would be, but I knew I would do something I hadn't been doing.

Not too long after that I got to the intersection I needed to turn at. Thankfully the change of direction took me out of the white out and into clearer territory. I did have a few more drive scares - my vehicle decided to go in one direction even though I was directing it in another. Before I knew it I had arrived at my destination.

I now relay the story with a light-hearted tone because I can look back and poke fun. However, when I was going trhough it there was nothing funny about it. The next morning the snow had melted by the time I needed to leave and all was right with the world again.

Until later . . .