December 13, 2012
People always think mountaineering is so dangerous. Do you know what’s REALLY dangerous? Getting behind the wheel of a motorized vehicle. The longer I live, the more I am convinced that this is the most dangerous thing we do.
Yesterday, I was leaving a hotel to drive to my Air Force base to work. Luckily I was only going about 2 mph in the parking lot when the front right wheel of my truck became detached from the axle. It made a really awful noise, not to mention shook me up a little bit.
I got out of the truck unharmed and surveyed the situation. Worst case scenario, I thought, a couple thousand dollars of damage and maybe a few days to fix it. I called the base and let them know I wouldn’t be coming in. Their ONLY concern was that I was unhurt.
It turns out that some parts I had replaced on my truck in the fall were defective. What are the chances of THAT? The lower front ball joint just disintegrated.
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- Yikes!
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- Stay safe!
As you travel this holiday season, keep in mind that the MOST important thing to anyone who cares about you, is that you arrive at your destination safely. I was really lucky. I don’t know what would have happened if I’d been going 65 mph on the highway or even 55 at night on a winding mountain road as I had been the previous night, or if I’d been going faster AND fiddling with my phone……well, use your imagination.
Most of us are trying to fit too much into our days already, and the holidays seem to exacerbate that tendency. If you feel rushed, just take a breath – slow down. I’m sure no one who truly cares about you will mind if you’re 15 minutes late or don’t respond IMMEDIATELY to their text.
Happy Holidays and be safe!
Jenni Fogle
***[The good news for Jenni, other than being unhurt, was that this was all covered by the manufacturer]***