Just Another Day in the Life!

I guess it's good to know that the ol' luck is still holding. Have you ever been invited to go somewhere with a friend? I'm sure most of you have, but I rarely if ever get the chance to take like a day trip with anyone. I think that most know if I'm involved, their little journey may turn into something that may appear on the evening news. Others, well, let's just say 'they've learned their lesson'!

I think there was only one person in Greenup County that may have decided to throw caution to the wind and called me a few evenings ago wanting me to go with him to Harlan County Kentucky. I doubt he'll be making that little mishap ever again. You see...

It was getting on in the evening this past Sunday. I had already completed the task of breaking a few things that day, hitting my thumb with a tack hammer, and tripping and falling over nothing a couple of time. I had changed clothes and was in my favorite house pants and over sized sweat shirt when the phone rang.

My friend would be making a few hours journey down to Harlem, Kentucky and said he couldn't find anyone to ride with him. Good to know I wasn't his top choice, but as I can't really blame him for that and not getting many chances to go with anyone anywhere, I jumped at the chance and said, "yes."

When I had hung up the phone and told my wife I would be leaving for the day on Monday, I had expected her to say that I was needed at home, or maybe 'she just couldn't make it through the day without me'. But, she seemed somehow elated at the prospect of me not being there with her.

Morning came, coffee was drank, and I sat and waited for my friend. When we left the house, he told me he had just one other person to pick up... his daughter. No problem, the more the merrier.

We passed the time, and miles, with small talk about when we both worked, some of the people that both of us knew, and how time seems to speed up the older you get. I'm sure his daughter was thrilled with our conversation as she sat in the backseat. Everything was going just fine and boring, until we neared Jackson, Kentucky in Breathitt County.

I don't know how many of you have ever been to Breathitt County, but let me tell you, there's I think only one road there that has a straight stretch that's over one-hundred foot long. All the rest are curves one after the other! We weren't on that one road with the straight part! No, we were on the one with sharp turns, twist, narrow lanes, and following a deep creek. I for one wouldn't have it any other way... but that's just me.

As we were coming out of one of the many curves I remember thinking, why is he driving sideways... it felt like the car was floating on air. We spun to the right, he corrected, we spun to the left, once more, he corrected. We spun completely backwards, no correction there!

In one of the may spins and turns we made, I could see some cars coming our way! This is really going to hurt, I really do remember thinking. But as things just somehow work out for me, as we turned going backwards once more, a small blue car passed us going on his merry way... now this is lucky, I thought.

And it would have been also, if only we had spun more to the right had side of the road... away from the 15-foot drop in the creek! (Which is where we went!) Finally, my 'normal' luck had returned!

I do remember, kinda, going over the edge of the drop off and then a loud..thump! Next thing I know, I'm looking down at Curtis setting in the water up to his waist and wondering, "Why is he doing that?" He was saying something that I didn't know what it was.

As the shock of the wreck wore off, things started to make more sense. Like the fact that I was trapped in a seat belt, in a wrecked car, and the water was rising closer to me. Now this is more like what I would have expected!

At some point some people had came down the bank to help us. His daughter was in the back and had, for some reason, just undid her belt. I think she was trying to get more comfortable. When we went over the side, she was flung over to the left side of the car and had gone completely under the water when we hit. With her belt off, she was able to get in a standing position, but couldn't get the car door open. When you're laying on the side, those things are quiet heavy. She was helped out and up the bank first. Thank goodness she was just a little shaken and not injured!

As I had said, Curt was saying something to me, and as my head cleared I could make out some of it. It was something like, "Get out of here, the water's rising." Try as much as I could, the seat-belt wasn't giving. For all those that know me, you know everywhere I go, I have a pocket knife. Always have carried one, and now for sure, always will carry one. But—for whatever reason—I had put it in the dash of his car. Still not too sure why I did that.

Ok, just lean forward open the dash, get the Leatherman cut yourself free and get out. The water was getting deeper. Leaned forward, dash opened, found the Leatherman, dropped it in the water! Oh the joy's of being me!! The water was getting deeper.

I really tried to be heroic and all that. I wanted to say something brave or maybe even funny, but the only thing that came out was, “GET ME OUT OF HERE!”

Now, things have a funny way of working out for me, even in times of near death. Curt had just that morning, for what reason he don't even know, saw a knife on his mantle and had got it and put it in the console of his car. He told me to hold on, that he had a knife, got it and cut the chest strap of the belt. Along with my shirt, but heck, I didn't care if he cut my flesh I just wanted to be free.

The lap belt was a different story. He couldn't get the knife blade under the belt and said he didn't want to cut down through it because he was afraid of cutting me. I told him just to cut it at my belt and not to worry, I'd heal from a cut but would take a lot longer to heal from drowning.

Lucky, we did finally get the belt cut. Unlucky, the passenger door was jammed! I had managed to find the door lock, but the way, if ever you get in a strange car always... I mean ALWAYS, know where that door lock is! But the door was still jammed and wouldn't budge!

I could hear someone outside the car shouting something, and about the same time, the door just opened. I looked up and saw one of the largest men I have ever seen in my life! He had just pulled the door open and with one hand, shoved it back. The metal creaked and more or less groaned and the door was sprung back wide opened! He reached in with one hand and pulled me up.

I got on the side of the car, and none the less for wear, hopped over to the side and climbed up the bank to the road with Jennifer, Curt's daughter. Once more, the giant reached in and with one hand pulled Curt up and out of the car.

As we stood on the road waiting for the police, I noticed how wet and cold Curt and Jennifer were. She was shaking she was so cold. In all of the wreck, and water and all, only thing that I had gotten wet was my left foot. See, my luck is not good, but in really bad times things work out for me. Anyways, I took off my jacket and wrapped her in it. Just then a really cold wind picked up. 'To blazes with chivalry! I must admit, I really wanted my jacket back, but didn't ask for it.

I used the State Police's cell phone to call Sheila to come get us. That was fun, anyways. “Hey, Sheila, we got in a wreck and need you to come get us.”

“Oh, bull, that's not even funny. Did you make it already?”

“Here, talk to the State Police.”

He told her where he was taking us and we needed someone to come get us. Well, everything worked out. Everyone is OK. I must say though, it sure was a very interesting DAY IN THE LIFE!