First Encounter with a Close Call

On my first day at college, I was rear-ended at the traffic light by a large, black Mustang.

To be clear, I wasn't the one at fault. The light turned red, I slowed to a stop, and suddenly, a bump and a jolt and a crimp of anxiety in my chest. I pictured the worst: crunched hatchback, broken lights, ugly scarring. and finally, lots of money to spend on repairs. My sweet, green 2001 Beetle who had been lovingly nicknamed "Shrub" (now I'm thinking Sweetpea would have been a better name), was injured in my imagination.

I took a few seconds to process what was happening before numbly turning onto Euclid with the equally worried fellow-first-dayer on my tail. I pulled into a parking lot and hopped out of the car to survey the damage.

But there was none.

I was grinning as the other girl stepped out of her Mustang, her hands fingers fluttering at her heart and lips. Apologies spilled forth, a stuttered explanation of how she didn't hit the brakes hard enough. I laughed and told her it was no problem, and we shared a refreshing sense of relief. Her nervous apologies transformed into grateful ones, and I laughed more. (I laugh a lot. At anything I don't know how to handle. It's bad when it comes to deaths.)

I drove away with a smile on my face because it could have been worse and it wasn't. I was happy because I had decided to choose patience and forgiveness over anger for a simple mistake. Sure, no damage was done, but if there had been I hope that my reaction would have been as measured and friendly.

Moments like these where you have to choose your outlook can affect the rest of your day. If I had acted angry or even upset, I am sure I would have gone home in a terrible mood. Instead, my temper was actually improved. Not that it was bad to begin with, but I wasn't called Moody Meghan as a kid for nothing.

I'm still smiling as I think about the small bump. This really shows that approach means the difference between a bad day and a good one, not only for you, but for those around you as well.