Two nights ago I was driving into Suncrest with my husband when a vehicle came around the corner. It was of course night so I had my high beams on. As soon as I saw it I turned down my high beams.
Foolishly I flipped my high beams back on before the driver got past the front of my car. Not on purpose but it was an automatic reaction to the vehicle moving past me, I keep my fingers on the switch that is stupid behavior. I did it without thinking, assuming the vehicle had passed far enough past mine.
Immediately I knew I flipped them back on too soon and I felt terrible. I thought dang it I probably blinded the driver.
As we pass through life sometimes we do things that we can’t make up for. I sent a prayer out into the air hoping the driver was ok.
As I looked in the mirror the vehicle slowed. Then it turned around. I had a bit of a panic attack for when we do stupid things sometimes people get madder than all get out and road rage takes over. So for a few seconds as I watched in the mirror I was afraid it was one of these people.
I said to my husband I think we are in trouble. He said, you have to stop driving with your hand on the lights but keep going.
I was getting even more fearful when the red and blue lights came on. I was so thankful. I was getting pulled over by an officer. I could not have been more relieved. I put on my turn signal and quickly found a place to pull over. As I did so there was a huge four point deer standing right there on the side of the road. If the officer had not pulled me over that deer would have been in my bumper.
The officer came to the window and asked me if I knew why I was pulled over and of course I said yes immediately. I felt like an idiot and I deserved a ticket but I was so happy to have been pulled over and that it was an officer of the law and not someone with road rage.
I did my best to apologize even though I expected a ticket.
Pulling me over made me remember that I am not the only person on the road, I have to remember to be careful in my driving so as not to cause another harm in any way. Vehicles are big and fast machines. We cause accidents not the vehicles. But they are big powerful machines that can cause a serious accident. In my case, even though I did not do it on purpose, I still could have caused that officer to run off the road. I would have been responsible. It is better to feel bad about that than to feel bad about causing an accident. I will be careful from now on. It was one heck of a reminder. I ask you all to think about how you drive and consider those coming past YOU as well.
The officer and I, we has a few minutes of conversation after he checked my driver’s license and such. During that conversation he mentioned the climate towards officers socially and I felt the stigma in the air for a moment and it made me sad that an officer would go about their daily job with that hanging over their heads.
If you get pulled over be respectful, if you have done something wrong be an adult and take your medicine. It’s a ticket in most cases, sometimes it is only a warning. Don’t be upset, just take your just desserts and go on with your life.
We hire these men and women to do a job and it is a hard job. But the added stress… There are no words that can ease that for them considering what is happening across America.
Please support our police officers, our Sheriffs and our Deputies.
And Deputy, thank you, I will be praying for you every day.
