'Fender Bender'

🚗 Driving an automobile is a privilege for which I am grateful. 😌 I did not always understand the enormous responsibility that it carries! 😳 I am very thankful to God for HIS - mercy, protection, guardian angel, etc., in regard to my driving experience - the past thirty eight years! 🙌🏼🙏🏼 One incident immediately comes to my mind - whenever I think about the beginning of my driving days. 🙃❤️ I had just obtained my 'driver's license' (getting a 💯% on both - the written, and, the actual driving, tests)! My papaw Dale had recently purchased a new car - for my nanny (grandmother), although, she didn't drive (she had several family chauffeurs)! 😊😗 It was a really nice, cherry red - with a white top/back, 'Ford-LTD.' 🚘 It was a BIG car, so, we called "her," 'BIG RED!' 🚘 I had been accustomed to, practicing and  'permit' driving, in smaller cars (Chevrolet-Citations and Chevettes)! 😙🚙 Of course, my dear, maternal grandparents, could not tell me, their first born grandchild (who had just received my 'd. license'), "no," whenever I asked to drive their brand new car on an evening out with my friends! 🤣 OH MY - they should have told me, "NO" (that time, and other times, too)! 🙃 So, I headed out - that early evening (excited - I was one of the first ones in our group of buddies to get a 'd.l.'), in the big, red, "tank," look'n good, feeling proud (now - a legal driver), and "grown up," etc.! 🚘😃 Then, I picked up my girlfriends (I now forget which ones were with me that evening), and, the car was full. 👯‍♂️👯‍♂️ Evidently, I picked up - one or more of my friends - in a particular, prestigious neighborhood, because of where this incident occurred, and, some of them did live there?!  In this section of that neighborhood - one street - ascends straight to the top, and then, it takes a sharp right turn - continuing - straight ahead - and, is a different named (short) street, which takes another sharp right turn - becoming a different named street, which descends - with a different name - the same distance as the first street (the three street sections form a large squared off - U - and/or - squared off "horse shoe," if one were to look down at it - from an air view. 🛣 And so, we quickly ascended the first, longer street - music blaring, windows down, acting silly, laughing, etc. (typical - teen age - female behavior).  Then, after driving down the short street, as we were turning, I - not being used to driving such a large car - was taking too much room (wide) to make the turn! 😳 Just as I was finishing - making the turn, at exactly - the perfect time - a carload of guys - who attended the same high school as we did - in another - "tank" (an old one), came barreling up the street in which we were going to descend!  Unfortunately, the big silver bumpers of the two cars - collided! 😩🤣 I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT! 😫 My mind began racing!  I yelled something not very sweet, at those guys!  I can't recall if we made a police report right then, or not?!  We definitely made one - sometime! 😤 The left bumper of my nanny's car was bent downward!  She ended up keeping that car for years - never getting that bumper fixed (probably - not wanting to pay the insurance deductible for it ?)!  Every now and again, for years, that bent bumper would catch my attention, and, I'd laugh to myself - as I reminisced about my first crash!  I got called "crash" for a "lil" while after that! 😏🚘 Thankfully, nobody was injured in our little "fender-bender!" 😊  We didn't have cell phones back then, so, I had to tell papaw and nanny, face to face, after we enjoyed the rest of that evening, ya know!?  We couldn't miss out on what was happening around "P-Town" that night!! 😉😂 Whenever, I did finally tell them, and apologized, I don't remember them being angry, upset, or reacting with any kind of negativity! 💜 They probably were not happy that their new car was a little damaged!  However, I don't think that they were surprised - knowing how "airheadish" I was - THEN!  And, undoubtedly, I'm certain that they were thankful that everyone was safe and sound! 😉🤣 I felt bad - at the time - that I had messed up the big, shiny, silver bumper - on their brand new car, BUT, not as bad as I should have! 😔 Analyzing my behavior - in respect to this incident - it seems that - I assumed that they (all of the adults in my family) simply loved "serving" me - probably - because - they HAD spoiled - my sister and I (being the only children in the family) - our entire lives!  Therefore, I just "took for granted" ALL of the attention, love, and, gestures of love, etc., that they bestowed upon me!  Whenever - I realized this - many years later, of course - I regretted it, but, it was mostly - too late to express it to most of them (they'd already passed away), therefore, I, hope and pray that, they understood that, I was young, spoiled, naive, clueless, etc., and that, I loved them!  I, also hope that they know now that - I love them, and, miss them tremendously, and, truly appreciate - everything they ever did for me - especially - the love that they had for me!🙏🏼💜 Anymore, I sincerely cherish everything that each one of them ever did for me (that I remember), because, I realize now, that it was all motivated by their love for me! 😢💜 I've had a few more "crashes" throughout my years of driving - since that first one in 'Big Red,' and thankfully, the good 'Lord,' has always protected me, and those who have been with me! 🙌🏼 This particular incident with 'Big Red,' has given me yet another "funny" (now) memory upon which to, reminisce and share, I suppose! 😂🎈🎉 LESSONS I LEARNED, and/or, I AM LEARNING, FROM THIS CRASH INCIDENT:  (#1) Drive responsively!  (#2) Be careful about, loaning and borrowing things, to and from, people!  (#3) Appreciate, and show your appreciation, to the people who love you, and whom you love, who demonstrate their love to you, and, do not take them for granted!  (#4) If, you have grandchildren, spoil them!  (#5) Carry good insurances (on almost everything)!  (#6) Don't sweat the small stuff, such as - bent car bumpers!  (#7) Enjoy your life (your friends, family, activities, etc.)  (#8) Be, thankful and grateful, to God, for everything (especially, things like - God's merciful protection - whenever you do stupid stuff, etc.)! (#9) Enjoy, reflect, analyze, learn from, grow from, etc., while reminiscing upon your many memories that you've stored up while living your life!  (#10) Use your life lessons to make a positive contribution to this world, in your own, personalized way! 😘 Take these lessons, or, leave them! ☺️😊🙏🏼✝️🙌🏼 Until next time...👋🏼