This is a quick public service announcement to anyone out there reading this along with me:
Always wait for the walking signal. Period.
I still hear the loud screeching of that cab as it came to a stop, literally inches away from me, and that loud continuous honking that came afterwards made me fully aware that any other driver.... any other driver with less-than-perfect coordination... and I would've been a whole lot worse. I still imagine the breaking of my kneecaps, my frame hitting the lights, my head against the windshield... just from how quickly that car went from about 20 to 0 in less than a second. It was that close. And it was so vivid that I felt like I was out of my body as it was happening and shortly after... not knowing how exactly I got across the street, but I did.
And I had to collect my thoughts and say a little prayer after that.
I'm not usually that careless, let me tell you. I always look both ways and tell myself to wait for the walking signal, even when I'm in a hurry. Somehow I thought I'd be okay in that moment, when the guy on the lane gave me space and let me pass... but I totally forgot about the turning lane. And I totally could not hear the other cars coming in from that lane. It was a blind spot, and it could've seriously killed me or put me in a condition that I couldn't financially afford to be in.
I still imagine myself not being able to move, much less run or dance, for a very long time. And I was just coming out of a dance class when that happened.
I wanted to cross the street casually to make it to the library, and the guy was letting me pass.
It's a miracle that I walked out of that, the way I did.
So always, always, ALWAYS wait for the walking signal. Don't jaywalk unless you're absolutely 100% sure that you're in the clear. But even if you're sure, don't do it. There will always be that crazy driver or biker approaching you that you just might not hear. That's what happened to me.
Take care of yourselves out there.
