A Story
On a rainy November driving home from work late at night, I had a terrible accident. Distracted with thoughts of the next day’s conference with 150 attendees that my team was hosting, my mind was racing. I was thinking about the agenda, how the election of Trump would affect the policy agenda around equity and access for children, how Muslims might be sent to internment camps, how I had to listen and learn from experts in the breakout room, how I hadn’t made anything for dinner. The light turned red, stopping my mind from racing, the car in front stopped too suddenly. I hit my brakes too late and skidded into the Honda at 40mph.
The airbag went off; steam came out of the engine; my SUV looked like a crushed soda can. I felt nothing. Shock and awe. How am I alive?
I stepped out of my vehicle to inspect the damage. There was a woman standing beside her car. She was on the phone, sobbing. I ran to her, apologizing and asking if she was hurt. I caused serious damage. Outside the d…
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