Rear-Ended

I got in my first official car wreck as a driver on my way home from work today. I was stopped in line for a light. I saw the car in my rear view mirror closing in. I had time to think "They're coming in a little hot," and then boom.

Thankfully, it was light hit. Shane wasn't in the car, either. My neck felt fine. The paint on my bumper was a little chipped, but none the worse for wear.

I signaled and met the other driver in an adjacent parking lot. It was three girls. They looked fairly young to me. None were hurt. The car looked like a beat up and old tan crown vic. There was a little cosmetic damage up front - broken plastic on the grill above the bumper. However, the radiator was untouched. If I recall, the driver said the car was her sister's boyfriend's.

I decided to write it off. The car looked more dirty than damaged. I was tired and didn't want to delay too long with paperwork and calling things in when I had to pick up Shane later. Also, it didn't look like the girls would have much insurance or money if any. I figured they made need some grace.

Whether it was right or not, that's the decision I made. Now it's time to live with it (though I hope it was the right call!).

I checked out the girls' car for them. I used my phone flashlight to poke around and told them to watch the heat gauge in case their radiator was nicked. I feel like I should have said more. Maybe turn the situation into some sort of life lesson or evangelism moment. The whole encounter feels rushed in retrospect. I did say I was a teacher and I'd be okay with moving forward if they learned something. That's not teacher-ish at all, is it? Hopefully, it didn't sound patronizing either.

I took this picture when I got home.

It passes a casual inspection. I didn't want to zoom in on the scuffs. 

Time to relax for now. I feel a little tense around the temples from the adrenaline rush. 

On the plus side, I got a story and my post of the day in before going to get Shane!