I got rear ended!!

So...yes, I was rear ended today. I'm not sure how often these sorts of things happen, but I have the honor of being a part of it!

I was sitting in the [work] van at Classic Car Wash, when I felt a jolt! I had been rear ended and had to go out and investigate. As the gentleman and I looked at our cars, we found that the van had received the damage. The detail team said that I would receive a free car wash, and they would also touch up the bumper. Actually, I'm not really sure exactly what was said. Dominic, the driver of the other car, "translated English to English," and then asked "Gratis?" I understood that and was very satisfied.

There is more to this story than meets the eye. After a few day mystery of "stolen" items from one of the group homes I work at, the missing shower curtain and hooks were "discovered." Thanks to getting rear ended "at the car wash [singing in the style of Rose Royce]" I was able to locate the missing items and install them at the new group home on my shift Friday night.

There is always a reason for certain events to take place. Friday's incident reminded me of an experience I had when I was about 10 or 11 years old.

My sister and I spent time in Scotts Valley (used to be a part of Santa Cruz) with our Great Grandmother for a few weeks almost every summer. As always, I was an early riser and would set the table for breakfast. As I brought out the Cheerios, I noticed on the front that there was potential to win a gift certificate to Foot Locker and thought to myself "wouldn't it be cool if there was one of those inside?" At that point, I had never won something like that, so I moved along. As I was finishing up a place setting, my elbow bumped the open cereal box and Cheerios went flailing all over the carpet. As I began to clean up the mess I had made being a klutz, I noticed a long card wrapped in plastic. I remember my chest swelling with excitement as I turned it over in my hands and read what it had said. I felt like Charlie from Willy Wonk[er]'s Chocolate Factory, but instead of the Golden Ticket, I had a Gift Certificate to Foot Locker. We didn't have a lot of money growing up, so being able to go into Foot Locker and actually walk out with a purchase, was a dream I had never imagined. It took a lot for me to control my excitement, but I placed the certificate next to my place setting and waited patiently for my grandmother and sister to wake up. I related the story to them over breakfast and told them that I believed I was meant to knock to box of cheerios over, so that I would be able to discover the gift card. We were soon to be picked up by our parents, and it would have probably not have been much use to our grandmother.

I remember how proud I was to walk out of the Foot Locker after my father asked the cashier to authenticate the certificate, before I began my shopping. When my father decided it was legit, the search began. I chose a pair of shoes that had a price tag of $70!!! I had never dreamed I could own a pair of shoes that cost so much! They were my favorite color, black - Reebok Blacktops. They were basketball shoes and I wanted so much to be like Michael Jordan! So, I bought two Nike Jordan t-shirts for $15 each. I marched out of that Foot Locker in my new kicks and was so proud that I had on "fancy" shoes. One of the big highlights of my childhood. Knocking over Cheerios!!!

ej