Luck

What is bad luck? I’m not sure I really know the true definition of luck, good or bad.

After listening to coworkers bemoan their bad luck one day, I pondered the concept with respect to my own life experiences and I had a hard time blaming any of them on luck. It seems apparent to me now, that I always make choices some good, some bad, but they always affect the eventual outcome.

I tried to blame my only car accident on bad luck, but it could also be plain stupidity. From my recollection of the incident, it started when I decided to tailgate a very large cadillac, filled to the limit with Italian gentlemen. These gentlemen were so busy looking for a well-known strip joint on The Queensway, that the driver found it difficult to concentrate on driving. As a result, the brake lights and turn signals kept turning on and off so quickly, I thought that I was possibly following a new type of emergency vehicle.

After several confusing minutes, I decided to change lanes and pass them. Remembering the words from my driving instructor, I quickly checked my blind spot to make sure the lane beside me was clear and proceeded to change lanes. I had no way of knowing that while I was changing lanes the driver in front of me would suddenly decide to park his car in the middle of a busy street. Well, the outcome was my front end kissing his ass end quite aggressively. I can still see all their heads bobbing forward and backward as our cars connected.

I couldn’t believe that this had happened. What bad luck, I thought. How can I explain this little incident to my husband? The man who could laugh at his own mistakes, but turned into raging bull whenever I made one. Oh well, the only consolation was that he was in Collingwood and I was in Toronto. It comforted me to know that I would be at the other end of the phone line during his tirade instead of facing him in person.

My first instinct was to check my baby daughter and make sure she was OK. Once I was satisfied by her laughter, that there was nothing wrong with her, I cautiously stepped out of my vehicle and moved slowly to the large caddy stopped ahead of me. I was nervous about facing the driver and wondered if he would prepare me for the onslaught I would get later from my husband.

To my surprise, he was very charming and pleasant. He was quick to exchange insurance information, along with drivers' licenses and telephone numbers. He insisted that we not bother the Police for this minor accident, as there was no damage to his vehicle at all. I was only too happy to comply with his wishes. I wasn’t too anxious to be charged with following too close or an improper lane change or whatever other charge they could think up. I really couldn't afford the fine or the hefty increase to my insurance premium.

I checked his bumper out carefully and was quite elated when I couldn’t find a single mark. On the other hand, I almost had a heart attack, when I turned around and saw the front passenger corner of my rental vehicle, broken and smashed with little pieces of plastic all over the road. The new materials they use to make a vehicle are truly marvelous. The proof was right before my eyes. In the front we have a huge replica of how they used to make cars, without a scratch on it and in the rear, we have a brand new model that will self-destruct with a mere pat on the hood.

While staring at my vehicle, with a stunned look on my face I became aware of a voice, that seemed to be very far away, pleading with me not to call the Police. Other voices could be heard complaining of whiplash, sore backs and any other injury that came to their minds.

My mind snapped back to consciousness quickly and I started to make my get away when the Police, who were driving in the opposite direction were hailed down by one of the other cars' passengers.

Figures, I thought, I knew it was too good to be true. Now, I’m really going to get it. Christ, I hate the City. Ironic that approximately one half hour before I was marveling at the beauty of it.

The Police officers were very friendly also, and were not too anxious to do any extra paperwork before their shift ended, which was OK to me. They suggested that we exchange our own information and look after it ourselves because they only get involved with accidents over $500.00. They were quite sure it was only probably $200.00 damage to my car.

Meanwhile, the other drivers’ passengers were still complaining about their stiff necks, which surprised me, after seeing how agile they were when they were looking for the strip joint.

The Police suggested we move our vehicles into the strip joint parking lot and let the traffic clear. We both complied and I followed the other vehicle into the parking lot. I was a little confused when the other vehicle continued driving around the parking lot and didn’t seem to want to stop. I parked and jumped out as the other driver continued back out the parking lot and down The Queensway, leaving all of his passengers sitting on the curb. I was tongue tied at first, and my mind was racing. What’s in that trunk? What is he trying to hide? Maybe it’s a body or drugs or stolen money! I grew excited because now I knew this would take the spot light off of my bad driving skills and turn it on to someone else, who obviously, had something more criminal to hide.

I rushed up to the Police Officer and asked him if they were going to chase him and would they like the particulars on the vehicle so they could run a check on it. They were really starting to tick me off with their nonchalant attitude. "Oh, he probably had somewhere he had to be. I’m sure it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it, anyway, like I said before, we don’t get involved in small traffic accidents and if we did, you would probably get charged anyway, as it was clearly your fault." They told me to get in my car and continue on my journey. They were not going to report the incident and they hadn't seen anything.

I decided it was better to leave and I quickly continued on my way to my sister’s house.

I realized by remembering this incident that I not only experienced some bad luck that day but, I also was blessed with good luck. But ultimately, was it luck at all? I made choices that day that had a bad or a good result and luckily other people made choices that affected the outcome for me, but I don’t really think that luck had anything to do with it.

In case you’re wondering, the other lucky thing that happened that day was the damage to my car ended up being $1,500.00, but lucky for me, my cheap husband found a shop to do it for $700.00.