STATE FAIR ACCIDENT

STATE FAIR ACCIDENT

 I mentioned earlier our State Fair opened up for its 10 day run. This almost immediately turns on an Arctic blast like magic. 

IT was almost 90 today with two major storms converging on us!

On opening day we had a step off one of the rides fall and hit the metal side of another ride, sending shrapnel flying. Thank God only 10 people were hit, and none of the injuries were serious.

My riding rides days are well past their prime, and with no chillins', I haven't had a reason to ride any for a long time. A trip down out local Interstate and around town with the Cell phone users & Text messenger's is enough.

This does remind me of a tragic story that happened in High School. I had an acquaintance, who was a beautiful girl in Spirit if not in looks at that time. We had our clicks and groups as most do from the 9th and 10th grade on.  Needless to say she wasn't in it. She desperately wanted to ride the Ferris wheel, but with her group of friends she could get no takers! 

And I as the Quarterback and BMOC was the obvious choice right? (Please read on--it truly isn't about me.)

She recognized me and approached me and all the while I was saying (praying*) NO--LET IT NOT BE ME! But it was....and to my horror she asked me if I would ride the Ferris wheel with her. (You had to have two to ride) and it was a relatively NEW RIDE at that time in history.

In front of all my COOL friends, I said;  (and it wasn't until15 or so years later I KNEW WHY), *(I didn't consider myself a Christian at that time-we were all exposed to Church like you are in a small town)

NOW I KNOW WHY IT WAS IMPORTANT TO OBEY THAT SMALL STILL VOICE, THAT GUT FEELING- THAT INTUITION--WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, THAT COMES FROM SOMEWHERE DEEP INSIDE..OR MAYBE FROM THE OUTSIDE....I DON'T KNOW....

"Yes Julie, I'd love to!" I HEARD MYSELF SAYING.

I try to treat everyone with dignity and respect, and I wish I could say it was because I was Chivalrous, or that I didn't care what my peers' thought--(ALTHOUGH I REALLY DIDN'T). I wish I could say it was because I wanted to somehow make her feel better about herself, or that I was REALLY THAT COOL or that I was setting a good example, or 1 of 1,000,00 other virtuous reasons. But truthfully, I wasn't so self confident or vain as to feel like she was asking me for that reason. She just needed a partner and several had already turned her down.

I didn't want to ride with her because of FEAR!

My own Fear of a NEW RIDE and a Slight Fear of THAT Height! 

cue: ree ree ree ree ahh ahh ahh ahhh Fri 13th or any classsic horror movie Music!

IT WAS THE DOUBLE FERRIS WHEEL--A NEW RIDE, 

AT OUR LITTLE TOWN FAIR!

 THAT IS NOT EVEN CLOSE TO THE POINT OF THE STORY: WE RODE, WE LAUGHED, WE HAD A BLAST AND AT THE END OF THE RIDE 

WE HUGGED !!

A TRULY  JOYOUS, FRIENDLY, I had a blast - THANK YOU!- HAPPY HUG!!!! 

ARRIVING AT SCHOOL THE FOLLOWING MONDAY I KNEW IMMEDIATELY SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT. THERE WERE GROUPS OF STUDENTS HUDDLING TOGETHER, SOME GIRLS WERE CRYING, OTHERS HUGGING EACH OTHER...AND THIS WAS IN THE PARKING LOT BEFORE CLASS.

WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY USUAL GROUP- I WAS ASKED, "DID YOU HEAR WHAT HAPPENED?" THE LOOK ON MY FACE MADE IT OBVIOUS THAT I HADN'T.

 THE DAY I HAD RIDDEN WITH JULIE ON THE DOUBLE FERRIS WHEEL WAS SATURDAY.

THE DAY BEFORE SCHOOL THAT MONDAY, ON SUNDAY, LATE IN THE EVENING

SHE HAD BEEN STRUCK AND KILLED BY A CAR WHILE CROSSING A VERY BUSY HIGHWAY BY THE MOBILE HOME PARK WHERE SHE LIVED. 

THIS WAS PRE- IM, FACE BOOK,  INSTANT MESSAGE, INSTANT KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ANYTHING.

It didn't even have time to make the Monday morning paper--not that we kids would have ever read it! 

I WAS SHOCKED AND IN SHOCK! SOMEONE I HAD JUST SHARED SOMETHING SO FUN WITH WAS NOW DEAD. I HAD HUGGED HER SATURDAY NIGHT, AND WOULD NEVER HAD DONE SO IN A MILLION YEARS, PROBABLY BECAUSE OUR PATHS WOULD JUST NOT HAVE INTERSECTED THAT WAY! 

BUT GOD HAD OTHER PLANS!

I RECENTLY PULLED OUT MY ANNUALS AS I RECONNECTED WITH HIGH SCHOOL FRIENDS, AND WE HAVE OUR 40TH COMING UP THIS MAY.

I NOW MAKE IT A POINT TO LOOK AT THAT PAGE OF DEDICATED TO THE TWO WE LOST THAT YEAR!

ALL OF THE WHAT IF'S FLOOD INTO MY MIND EVERY TIME I THINK OF JULIE: 

WHAT IF: I HAD SAID NO...WHAT IF, WHAT IF, WHAT IF.....ETC, TC, ETC, 

BUT GOD HAS USED THAT SPECIFIC EXAMPLE AND I HAVE APPLIED IN MY LIFE EXPERIENCES' MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE.

I MISS YOU JULIE PLETCHER!!!  THANKS FOR THE RIDE, THE LAUGHTER, THE FEELING YOU GAVE ME!!!! THAT SPECIAL LAST HUG AND THE LIFE LESSON!

CAN YOU THINK OF SOMEONE THIS WEEK, TOMORROW, OR WHENEVER YOU MIGHT NEED TO HUG?

YOU CAN HUG WITH A LETTER,

A NOTE,

A PHONE CALL,

A BLOG......

  YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN A LAST CHANCE MAY SLIP THROUGH YOUR ARMS!

I LOVE YOU ALL!

HUGS! BUT HOPEFULLY NOT FOR THE LAST TIME!

JMc