My accident was exactly a week ago. Three blocks from home, a woman ran a red light right into my little Toyota Yaris, coming about 4 inches from hitting me (personally).
I walked away from that accident, but I’ve been limping along since then. Physically and spiritually.
Physically, I’m sore. My left side from the waist down hurts, but you can add in my left shoulder too. My right shoulder also hurts. I’ve been having trouble writing on the whiteboard at school. By the end of the day, it feels like a smoldering metal rod is hanging out near my left hip, leg, and knee. I’ve been exhausted, partially because it’s hard to find a comfortable position to sleep in.
Spiritually, I’m just tired with no hint of rest in sight. I haven’t been getting work done in the evenings, because I’ve been doing something associated with the accident all week. Looking at new cars. Going to doctor appoints. Tonight I didn’t get home until 8:30. I got to work at about 6:10 a.m. Grades are due at noon tomorrow, and I still need to confirm and enter the grades from three classes because the accident put me so far behind. I’m going in early tomorrow. My planning period is before the deadline, so I’ll use that. I’m also going to put my students to work on group work, and hopefully enter a few more grades in between rounds of circulating and helping them out.
I don’t really see a fix to some of this. No one can go look at cars for me. No one can go to my doctor’s appointments. No one can fill out loan paperwork for me.
I have been taking off some work to do these things, but it still amounts to “extra.” Extra transportation time to get to places. Time sitting in waiting rooms. Time filling out loan paperwork.
I started heading back to St. Pete at around 7:00 tonight. There was an accident on I-275, so I decided to take the Gandy instead. Someone got into an accident on the Gandy. As I sat behind a big white truck, not moving, I started crying. I just wanted to be home. Fortunately, it was just a slow-down that only lasted a minute or so. People rubber-necking at a car in the shoulder and a cop blocking one lane. But still… Still…
I don’t like how I feel right now. Overburdened. Overwhelmed. I’ve been grumpy with some of the adults in my life, but also the students. I really, really just want the students to have a little empathy and cut me some slack. Many of my freshmen just aren’t there in regards to maturity level. Which makes it really hard to put up with those students’ BS with any grace at all.
Tomorrow’s Friday. A good friend from Jacksonville is in town and we’ll get to visit. I’m buying my new-to-me car on Saturday. I’ll have doctor appointments on-and-off for the next few weeks, but hopefully they’ll also make the pain decrease and make things easier.
*Note to self* – Concentrate on the good stuff…
I know I’ll get through this as I have everything else hard in my life. But it does feel hard right now. I’m not sure if realizing it makes it easier or not…
Things like the crash you endured have a way of overwhelming you because you are living literally a ‘full life.’ Trying to shoehorn a near death experience into that life is difficult at best. When I had my crash 2 years ago, I didn’t have nearly the schedule you’re maintaining and it was still a lot of stress. No sage advice, but try to see all the good and great times you’ve had because of your adventuresome spirit and know you can get through to calmer weather.
Thank you for the encouragement!
Christy – glad to hear you are recovering from your car accident. I’ve been in a few and they are not fun. Your post was inspiring. I’ve been feeling exhausted and overwhelmed lately too. No car accident, but work-related. But, my ‘stuff’ is pretty minor to your ‘stuff’ right now. So thanks for the perspective check.
Get well. Love ya, Uncle John
There’s no comparison to be made. All of our “stuff” is important. Just gotta keep our heads above water no matter the cause… I’m glad fall break is coming up soon though. Give me a real breather. Two days off a week ain’t enough right now.
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