I don't do anything in a small way. My first--and hopefully last--car accident was no exception.

To make a long story short, I missed a stop sign I have stopped at a thousand times, realized I was supposed to turn there, and attempted to turn a nintey-degree angle at 55 mph. No, I don't know what I was thinking, or even if I *was* thinking. Needless to say, I couldn't make the turn, and ended up flying off of the road onto the shoulder. I ripped out two large metal boxes that house power or telephone wires and landed upside down. As I flew over the boxes, time seemed to slow down. It seemed very surreal, as though this couldn't possibly be happening. When I landed, the airbags exploded (although they didn't even touch me) and my horn was blowing and I smelled something burning (I think it was my brakes). I was scared to death that the car was on fire, and unbuckled as quickly as I could. Fortunately, the driver's side door still opened, and I got out fast (and no, it wasn't on fire).

Also fortunately, this was on a deserted stretch of road running through orchards, so there were no other cars around at the time. In orchards around this time, though, there are a lot of farm workers, and withing seconds there were fifteen or more on the scene, asking me if I was OK, was there anyone else in the car. Some climbed in the car and managed to turn off the horn. One let me use his cell phone to call my parents. Some Fresno County firemen/paramedics arrived shortly after and looked me over and asked me basic questions. Then a tow truck and the CHP arrived. After the usual questions ("You didn't see the two stop signs there?") they let the tow truck pull the car upright. That was when I cried. It was totaled. The driver's door was already crumpled, the hood dented, the rearview mirrors ripped off, the bumper torn in two, the headlights gone, one wheel flattened and pulled off the rim, but when he started moving it, the window shattered and antifreeze drizzled out and formed a dark little pool like it was bleeding to death. I know it's silly, but I'm crying now thinking about it. My poor truck. I'd put nearly 5000 miles on it in four months, and it was like my little home-away-from-home. It's funny how we get attached to inanimate objects and think of them as having personalities and such, isn't it?

Then my dad got there and ran up to me and hugged me, and we got my stuff from the Ranger and took off. He kept telling me he wasn't mad, he'd done something similar, the only important thing was that I was OK, etc.

I praise the Lord that I am safe. The only thing I injured was my shin, which has a small cut. I didn't even bump my head. The airbags didn't help any, but they didn't hurt, I guess. The roof had a dent between the driver and passenger seat, but the windshield didn't break until they pulled it upright. I am so grateful that we paid attention to safety ratings when we were looking at cars and got the safest one we could afford. Which brings up another point: With the Ranger totaled, I have to go car shopping with Dad again. The dread of that in itself should prevent me from having another accident.

Thank you all for letting me unburden myself of this to you.

La"Glad to be home and safe with her family"Zorra