What a Car Crash Feels Like

THIS HAPPENED TO ME

I’m still processing

Trigger Warning: Contains descriptions of a car crash experience.

Recently, my husband and I were in a car crash. We were driving home from an enjoyable Sunday lunch. I clutched my special prize — pandesal bread rolls from the restaurant. It’s been years since I’ve had any. We were saving it to have with coffee at home.

It was a pleasant day, neither hot nor cold, and we were having a lovely time. As we approached an intersection, a car in the opposing lane pulled out in front of us to make a left turn.

As I noticed the car in the intersection, time slowed down. My husband slammed on the brakes. In an instant, there was a quick, sharp, deafening BANG as we slammed into the other car. It was just one big giant bang - no crunching, no squealing, no squeaking, no multiple bangs, nothing. Just one explosive BANG.

I didn’t feel like I moved at all. It felt as though I remained perfectly still, and everything else around me moved like I was floating.

I looked around outside the car. Airbags mostly blocked my view, but I could see someone on the phone in front of our vehicle peering in, possibly the other driver.

I looked around inside the car. The airbags looked like air-filled pillowcases with raggedy edges. A wisp of smoke was rising from the right side of the dash. There was a burning smell as though something had gotten way too hot.

My thoughts turned to my prize, the container of pandesal that had been on my lap. It was now on the floor in front of me, lid bent. In a haze, I debated whether the bread was still edible. The haze was both mental and physical, as a fine powder clouded the air in the car.

Different parts of my brain were still getting up to speed on what just happened. I was confused and disoriented, figuring out what I needed to do. I didn’t want to breathe in the burning smell and particles in the air. I wanted to get out of the car but was confused about…

Related posts:

As a person who has some issues with her mental health, I don’t always finish what I start. I’ve changed jobs about a hundred times, been married three times, and have bought approximately 35 writing…

Christmas once brought me mixed feelings. Mom’s health wasn’t all the best and we three children were tasked with taking down all the mundane decorations, packing them away, and then bringing out the…

Lately I have been alone Like a lot of other people. I have been at home But home for me is on my own. No new faces, nor old ones Only sound I hear is keyboard punching. Nobody around to speak to…