Avoid distracted commuting. (See more at dailyhap.com)
I learned a lot of things on Sunday. I crashed my bike into a parked car (in the bike lane, to be fair) while trying to grab crumbles of homemade protein bar out of the above plastic baggy. The car suffered only a broken taillight. I suffered only a deep laceration requiring 7 stitches and a few surface wounds.
Turn 30, get stitched.
Attitude
Gratitude
Accepting love
Everyone around me was extraordinarily helpful. The couple behind me called 911 and stayed with me for about an hour, and texted me later to make sure I was okay and didn’t need anything. The girl whose car I hit and her boyfriend pulled chairs out of their garage, brought me water and juice, and offered to drive me to the hospital. The firefighters and multiple policemen (slow day in Newport Beach) were friendly and sweet. The friend I had brunch plans with came to get me without being asked; he and BT waited the entire time in Urgent Care for me (they listened to football and drank beers in the car while I was with the doc, to be fair) before taking me to the comfiest couch and biggest TV available—football was on, after all. I was afraid to rely on anyone last August with the hammy, and I definitely hesitated before I dialed BT, but I did it anyway. And he exceeded every expectation I could have had for how someone could care for me.
The pic above focuses on prevention which is obviously the most important. I was trying to do too much, I was distracted, I was overly confident in my skills because I bike all the time. Biking as fast as I was, I’m lucky to walk away with a deep puncture wound and no knee structure, bone, or ligament damage. (And no face injury, as my dear bestie pointed out)
But despite having to elevate my knee at all times and change my wound’s dressing in the work bathroom, I’m almost happy I had this accident—people are SO NICE to me! I am struck by the outpouring of love and support I receive from strangers and friends and coworkers and family. Although I’m pretty sure this attitude is what prevented the clinic from prescribing me pain meds, which was a critical tactical error.
My dad said to me a little while back that maybe now that I’ve turned 30 and focused on giving love and saying I love you, it’s time to practice receiving love. This accident has given me the most amazing opportunity to do that.
Now on to a speedy recovery—don’t text and drive, don’t snack and bike, and don’t be afraid to let people love and take care of you.