Everything Happens for a Reason

Many times during my life, I’d hear my father say that everything happened for a reason, whether or not we understood just what that reason was at the time. And, more often than not, I’ve seen this proven to be true.

Yesterday was such a time. Late in the afternoon, I left the house a little later than I'd intended, on my way to work. After I’d passed over the interstate and had driven about another two miles, I saw cars backed up ahead of me, shunted into one lane, and slowed to a crawl. Flashing lights from several emergency vehicles lit up the sky, now approaching dusk, with another fire truck arriving as I did. I was a little irritated, concerned that I might be late for work.

As I slowly inched forward, I saw that traffic from the oncoming direction had been detoured over the wide grassy median and cars now slowly approached in the lane we’d been diverted out of.

It was then that I noticed just what had caused the detour. First, I noticed a wrecker pulling a car up the side of an embankment on the far side, with people standing by watching the progress. But then I saw the other vehicle -- what remained of it-- still on the opposite side of the road, facing in the wrong direction, with glass and debris strewn in a wide arc around it.

The car had been so badly damaged that I couldn’t tell what model or make it had been before the accident. The only distinguishing feature still discernible was the color: silver. It was now nothing more than a mangled, twisted piece of scrap metal. The entire front end of the vehicle was gone, pushed back into what would be the back seat area of a four door sedan.

As I slowly crept past, I realized that no one in that car could have possibly survived the accident. Even after I’d cleared the wreck and driven on, traffic moved slower than usual, the drivers no doubt in shocked horror over what they’d just seen.

I likely would have left the house about ten minutes earlier than I did that day, had Infamous J not come online to talk to me for a few minutes before I left for work. J and I rarely IM at this particular time of day, but she’d wanted to wish me luck as I started my new shift on my job.

As I drove the remaining miles to work yesterday, I couldn’t help but think what could have happened had she not come online to talk. It’s quite possible that I could have been at that very spot when the accident occurred, perhaps getting caught up in it myself, if not for her.

But as my father always said, everything happens for a reason.