Grateful for My Miracles and Those of Others (which may mean more saved from trouble too). Let's count our blessin's and lessons
I met a woman who shared she survived a car accident with her young twins in which her mini van rolled over..She was able to mostly stay calm and pray things would turn out alright...
She got out of the van and when police arrived moments later, they asked how she did it...because the doors were smashed in and needed to be pried open. Her kids were okay and basically...she had a miracle. I also had an experience of my Subaru not running so great (being told not at least once that it was due to the heavy tread on my snow tires so not to worry about the sound that was coming from the back wheels...) Well, being told by 'experts' I convinced myself it would be okay to drive, to Torrington and back. But it kept sounding worse.
A friend wanted to use my car, humble as it were which I lovingly called The Turtle Mobile. I was headed to Great Barrington but thought to get the wheels checked even if they ended up telling me I 'Really Had Nothing to Worry about' (and to quit wasting their time...) Well, as I turned into the garage and got out of the car after putting it in park, the mechanics said they couldn't believe I drove in there.
When I asked why, they said, "Because there are no lug nuts on the back wheel...it shouldn't be able to go like it did." I had not closed the door and asked if I should do so or just let them check it there as is. One fellow told me not to go near the car as it could still be prone to tipping over.
So Thankfully, that 'squeaky wheel' got the lug nuts in part due to me being ready to be told I was nuts. Okay so I recommended this site, www.firethegrid.com to my new friend Jen, miracle walker out of impossible car rollover... and will do so for any who may be interested in 'miracles and messages' to help US All at this important time on Plan-It Heart...
PS Whenever you have your tires changed and such or if they are making strange sounds, double check that they are tightened. Same with when someone changes the oil or fixes something..it helps to have another person or yourself check basics are adding up. Unfortunately after having a lot fixed on one car long ago, it burst into flames..that was not a very good day.
However, I was able to get myself and my child out safely and had not had an extra ride along as a friend. Earlier that day her mom had specifically decided to not let the little ones ride in one car if we were going to the same location. Now That's Mother's Intuition. I realized it saved someone else from driving the car that night to New Haven when they may not have been able to detect the smoke pouring out of the back before the flames started, so again there was quite a silver lining to that story. I even managed to shop at the Lakeville Thrift shop that was at the Methodist Church hall for clothes to wear to a wedding, since I'd left those in the car knowing I may only have a matter of seconds to get away.
Remember to let material things go if in a pinch (I think Suze Orman's Dad went back into his burning home for a money box and suffered some serious burns.) On a more heroic note from yesteryear (decades ago) I heard of a man who went to check that the other workers were out of a house that had caught fire. Sadly he perished from his burns or in the fire....and I believe they'd all gotten out.
So have some Fire Safety Plans and Practice a few drills. I was thinking of the Petit Family losses, and how it would be good to have a bright light or other signal people could send to anyone nearby (maybe even if something could be rigged up to mailboxes with a special button in the house or a way to activate it with one's phone so people would know to call 911.
I saw a building in NYC with a sign that said "if this alarm sounds, call 911") Of course the whole thing with getting an appropriate response from police is an ongoing field of inquiry and learning.
That will be another post, but basically if you make a report to the police with name and such...no matter what they say, they can and may investigate concerns or inform the other party of your concern. I went over these points with a few people who feel they know what's what...and yet the Options to Calling Police and having some way to have an intervention are few and far between.
The Domestic Violence Report Online or in print ) by many including Joan Zorza and Evan Stark (both of whom I have met in past years at conferences such as BMCC which is online in part too) has many back copies and current information that every state should find a way to afford (about $300/year) and ideally more could access it.
Women especially need to pay attention to the field of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) as much as any medical health issue (which garners millions in funding and endless advertising on TV and in the media for cancer prevention etc... ) Gun Laws, Access to Guns and being in a Rural Environment (which typically has fewer resources and allows much to pressure women socially in isolation) are all key areas to study.
The more who do so the safer our communities will evolve to be. Soon it will not be cool like it once was among too many males and the rest of the society to see women and kids put in danger and not have help, even when she was willing and able to get help and Try to Leave Safely With the Kids...
That's one miracle that still needs fine tuning across the country..one state at a time, one law and one family at a time (unless more can get to women's forums and ways to figure out safety plans without telling their abusive parties about their knowledge or plans, both of which are common triggers for more abuse or actual harm.
Post new comment