one long, long day...

It's been one long day... that's for sure. Well, I guess it's technically a new day, but at almost 3:30 AM, who feels like getting technical? There are some days that seem to have lasted an eternity, and days that just seem to fly by... and I don't think there's anything wrong with either extreme...

So the ones that never end though... just because they're long and perhaps painful in spurts, doesn't mean you don't realize important things over the course of them.

Unfortunately, I had a wreck today in my beautiful brand new car, with only some 150 miles on it. Yes, it was a small fender-bender, and not to make this poast oh to drama-esque it was a stressful ordeal none-the-less. I definitely learned that my almost two years of not driving equates to what should have been a mandatory minimum something-or-other hold on my license to roam about the greater DC metro area.

In all seriousness though, I do realize I think I pushed it too far this time. I think I wanted to jump from being the WMATA trail-limited to the one who knows no bounds a little too suddenly. I am thankful though...

For starters, I definitely haven't lost sight of the reason I have lived without a car for almost two years... I don't have to have a car. Some people don't have the luxury of living so close to such a great network of public transportation, so I should consider myself blessed. Blessed that it's a luxury, and blessed that it's something I've been able to afford to elect to indulge in. In the midst of everything around me, I'm happy to say I haven't lost that perspective.

Two, I have so many friends and people supporting me that how can I let something as little as this keep my focus off of all that I have been blessed with. As easy as it is to let something like this make you want to just feel sorry for yourself, I have to remember that the place I find myself is a world apart from the place I was just two short years ago. I'm so happy where I am.

Can a bent piece of plastic really mean my life is not where it needs to be? Is it annoying? Heck yes. But is my world over? Between that and a couple of crushed, cemented icky eggs, I have to look and say no, I think I'm still ok. In the end - yes, I'm still ok.

Thanks Ms. WT for getting me out this evening. Great time, and definitely much needed. Thank you, wonderful firemen of L'Enfant Plaza. Your bumper ripping skills are fanastic, bar none, and my hat's off to you. To the countless others who patiently listened to me as I was quite a bit wrattled and freaked out, gave me a warm hug, shared some cheesecake... you get a nod as well.

And even better props to DC. I'm so happy to be in a world where things don't revolve around my car... novel concept, it's all about the people. And yes, the people here... them, I love. They might not all understand the beauty of grits and sweet tea, but they're pretty darn fine.

The great thing is that as much as I love my car (and yes, as my bank account can attest, I do so love that bumper-less car), I'd love being here if my transportation mode were to revert 100% to my two legs. As the night (haha I guess morning) is upon us, with a glass of cold water in hand, a toast to DC, a toast to friends... no matter what, I'm not going to lose that glimpse of reality.