I was in a minor fender-bender type accident in the school parking lot today.

I backed into a car which was painted a shade of invisible until my bumper tapped it’s right front headlight. Shattering happened.

The owner of the car witnessed the entire episode and to say he wasn’t happy would be ten miles under an understatement. He has one headlight tonight, and I pray he and his children are safe on the road.

While sorting things out, he gave his young son a small white plastic bag from Diamond Shamrock, telling him to pick up the glass shards off the ground.

I told him I would do it.

I kneeled to pick the sharp slivers and chunks off the wet asphalt. It had snowed, but melted. It was cold. I cut myself, twice. The small bag was heavy by the time I was done.

He took pictures of my car with his cell phone. I have pictures of his car on my cell phone. There we were, protecting ourselves, suspicious, angry, sorry, dirty, cold. He left with a photocopy of my insurance card.

I left with a bag of glass and bits of silver chrome. I put it in the back of my car and drove home, crying.

“Are you going to be arrested, mom?” Tommy asked.

“No, don’t worry. It was an accident.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wrote everything above last night, when it was all about me. The man was mean. It was cold. I had cuts on my hands. I felt stupid and embarrassed. Our insurance rates will go up. Our kids go to the same school. The man had been a stranger I saw nearly every day and it would be awkward for me to see him.

Woe was me.

After a fitful night of sleep which didn’t actually begin until well after 1am, I woke up and thought about Mr. R., the man who must deal with insurance companies and repair shops today. Most likely he has other things he needs to do. Instead, he finds himself dealing with a headache of a day.

And there it is, staring me in the face. He is going to have a bad day.

I don’t often go around being the catalyst for bad days. So now, I am thinking of him.

How have you wrecked someone else’s perfectly fine day? Have you?