One of my biggest fears realized today.

A walk across the London Bridge after looking at the poppies at the Tower of London.

I have been struggling with what to blog about since our return from the states. Usually an idea or beginnings of sentences just pop into my head, but I’ve been blank. I was just thinking about it again last night in hopes that my writer’s block would end and something creative would come out of me.

And then I hit a bicyclist with my car this morning.

My windshield.

It was horrible and I am still very upset about it. This is one of my worst fears and it came true on our routine morning drive to drop off K2 at childcare.

Every time I see a bike on a road here, I think of my husband. He’s a biker and bikes recreationally several times a week. The roads here are horrible for bikers…no shoulder and super narrow. Bike paths are a rarity. I always shake my head when I see someone without a helmet.

Today, as I was trying to give a biker plenty of space to bike by going around him, he decided to turn right without any warning or hand signal. I still don’t understand how he didn’t hear or see me right there. I was almost right next to him. He turned to the right and I ran straight into him. Somehow, he curled up in a ball and his backpack, rather than his head, made impact with my windshield. I screamed, swore, and panicked. K1 started yelling, “Noo, Nooo, Nooo,” and K2 just followed along with some crying.

I pulled over immediately and ran out to help the man out of the middle of the road. Somehow, with no helmet, he managed to walk away from this accident. He was limping, but no broken bones or even visible blood. By the grace of God. He went to get checked out in the hospital and I took a mental health day. 

Dealing with insurance takes a day in itself. Somehow the soonest my windshield can be replaced is tomorrow afternoon and my car cannot be driven safely until then. Thankfully, I have wonderful co-workers who are already offering rides and help.

I can’t get over what happened though. I am overly cautious with bikers and that is why I am so upset about this. I never want to believe an accident like this would actually be caused by the person on the bike. But it was. It just was and I guess that frustrates me. When you are on a bike anywhere, you are vulnerable.

When I was in Bangladesh, I was hit by a motorcycle while riding my bicycle and ridden off the road many times by passing vehicles and trucks. I am thankful that I was never seriously hurt.

And earlier this year, Dave forgot his helmet on a routine ride and flipped over his handlebars. He incurred a head wound and needed multiple staples.

When I knew the man was okay, I asked him to promise me he wouldn’t bike anymore without a helmet and that he would use hand/arm signals from now on.

I hope that K1 won’t be afraid to ride his bike now. I have a co-worker who competed in an Ironman triathlon before moving here a year and half ago and he hasn’t ridden a bike since. He refuses to bike on the roads for safety reasons. I don’t blame him. I’m glad Dave doesn’t have to commute daily on a bike and that many of his recreational rides are done in groups or at least with one or two other bikers. I just might have to get him a neon orange safety vest for Christmas though.

I hope that the next time I write, it’s to celebrate what we are doing and learning here. For truly, there is much to celebrate. We all have the proper visas now and big things are on the horizon. I have a conference in Nice, France next week, we have a thanksgiving trip to Bruges, K1 turns 5 on December 7^th, the Schutz family arrives mid-December for Christmas, and then we are off to Spain for the new year. Wow.

I am thankful everyone is okay today. I am thankful we are all able to continue to live and learn our lessons from each negative and positive experience. 

Here are some pics of the past few weeks:

My mom and the kids in Winona.

K2 and Grandma Schutz

Superman. Never again will I use black spraypaint on K's hair!

Our Little Ironman

Superheroes in Winona

One of the many escalators included on a trip into London.

View from the London Bridge

I watched this TED Talk with my EHS class. 

Breakfast at Burough Market