Associated Blessings

Okay, so here is a few more details about car problem and the associated blessings inherent in the experience.  Where to start?  Hmmm...well, last weekend I was home for the weekend and was reminded of the generous contribution of my mom to the "buy new clothes for the new school year" cause.  In my busyness and dread of shopping, I haven't gotten around to back-to-school shopping, but I've been meaning to for months.  Since Nori's birthday was Tuesday she was provided with some money for clothes shopping as well, and it was determined that we'd go together and do our shopping.  And we'd decided that today would be the day.  So Nor and I made plans to meet and head to the mall at 7:00pm.

So at 7:20ish Nor, her roommate Maren, and myself headed off down University Ave. towards Provo Towne Center Mall.  But we didn't make it that far.  At 700 N and University we ran into a problem.  Or, rather, a problem ran into us.  Well, if you can call an elderly man (probably around 80 years old, I'd guess) in a cool old truck a problem, anyway.  You see, we were stopped at a red light, waiting for it to turn green.  And I noticed movement to my right.  A truck that was up on the lawn in front of a house just off the road was backing up.  Right towards my vehicle.  Towards the rear passenger side where Maren was sitting.  When I noticed he wasn't stopping, I firmly pressed the heel of my hand onto the steering wheel to sound the horn.  I didn't let go until he stopped.  But he didn't stop until he'd hit my car.  Darn.  I put the car in park, turned on my hazards, and rolled down the window.  He asked if we were all okay, and after receiving an affirmative response, he suggested I pull over to the side of the road so as to be out of the way.  Good idea.  So I pulled over into the turning lane, and then turned around the corner and parked.  I walked back over and he said he'd pull around.  But instead he drove off southbound on University.  Wow.  So then I called the cops and they came and did a report and were very helpful.

So facevalue, this sounds like an unfortunate event.  And it was.  My car is looking pretty bad, and I'm worried about the current window-less status of the rear passenger door, especially since it is supposed to rain/snow tonight.  And I'm worried about if we can find the guy responsible and whether or not he has insurance to pay for the damages he was responsible for inposing on my vehicle.  And it will definitely delay my plans to sell my vehicle soon.

But still, there were a lot of associated blessings that I cannot ignore.  And I'd like to record a few of them:

• He picked a perfect spot to hit me.  All the damage was localized to that rear passenger door.  Had it been a little to the right, it would have done a lot more damage to my car (two doors and the frame between them) and could have injured Nor.  Had it been a little more to the left it would have hit the frame and the gas tank access area.
• I wasn't moving when he backed into me.  I figure that helped keep the damage isolated and kept my car from being pushed into any other vehicles.
• The tinting in my car kept the shattered window from breaking apart.  This actually amazed me.  That tinting was remarkable strong.  The glass was completely shattered in its appearance, and according to the officer, usually in such cases if you closed a door or went over a bump, it would all fall apart and crumple down and could potentially cut someone.  Initially he offered to knock it out himself while the car was parked and passenger-free.  But upon inspection he indicated that it seemed solid and should hold up. As it was, the bottom of the window was a few inches removed from the door but still attached.  When I removed the window later, the hundreds, if not thousands, of shattered pieces of glass all stayed joined together.  The window hung down over my arm and I was able to carry it like that to the dumpster to throw it away.  I can't help but think if I didn't have such amazing tinting (which is actually illegalish in Utah) that that glass would have likely broken and fallen apart on impact, potentially sending flying peices of glass that could have easily cut Maren and even Nor and I.
• Maren didn't have a seatbelt on and was able to move to the opposite side of the vehicle before impact.  I don't like to condone not wearing seatbelts.  But in this case, it proved a blessing so that she could avoid getting hurt, since he did plow right into where she was sitting.
• No one was hurt.  I really am so grateful for that.  And considering the seatbelt, window tinting, impact placement, I consider it a very real blessing from Heavenly Father that we were protected as we were.
• The officer was incredibly helpful and kind and is familiar with the vehicle responsible.  Apparently he patrols this area often, because when I described the truck that ran into me and ran away "um...it was an old-timey looking truck, probably from the 60s or 70s" and "I think it was tan or beige or champaigne (yes, I offered champaigne as a color option)...it was dark" he said that he'd seen that truck parked in that yard before and was confident that someone in the houses would be able to identify him (if they would answer the door).  He was so nice and helpful and patient with me.  I'm a fan.
  
• I had my camera with me.  Which meant I could photodocument the damage.  And stuff.
• I got Nor a great birthday present.  You see, while I was filling out paperwork, she and Maren were talking of how awesome it would be to get picture of "being arrested" and put in the back of the cop car.  So at the conclusion of my information exchange with the officers, when the main officer asked if there was anything else he could do for me, I decided to be a kind and crazy older sister, and I mentioned that my little sister and her friend wanted to get pictures being put in the back of the cop car.  It was his idea to cuff them.  Did I mention that he was the coolest cop ever?  And that I'm glad I had my camera with me?  Who needs money and malls for birthday presents with you have cameras, cops, and confidence?  Not me, that's who.

So anyway, I feel that I was abundantly blessed tonight.  Yes, the situation was a negative situation to be put in, but for being in that situation, so many things went right, and so many potential bad things didn't go wrong.  So I am blessed and am very grateful to my Father in Heaven for taking good care of me.  By the way, is anyone in the market for a 2001 Ford Taurus SES that will soon be as good as new?