A Pivotal Point

Over the years, I have learned that life delivers the opposite of what you expect, and I have become a firm believer in serendipity. I do believe that everything happens for a reason, and what seems like unfortunate accidents at the time turn out to be exactly where you are supposed to be. Is it fate? Maybe…

I had been a travel agent for 11 years, and one day I was delivering tickets during my lunch break, and that day determined a change of course in my life. It was a pivotal point. At the time, I was going through a devastating divorce that was traumatizing me and my children. I was experiencing the heartbreak of betrayal, watching my family be torn apart, and certain bankruptcy. At the end of my rope, I was trying to accommodate my clients and hand deliver tickets to build clientele and make more money in commissions. Stress kept me awake at night worrying, not eating, and trying to keep up a brave front. I did not want my kids to realize our ship was sinking and the captain was desperate. I wanted them to feel secure and be able to be kids as long as possible.

On that crisp, fall day in September of 1997, I was stopped in traffic on the freeway because of road construction; I anxiously looked in my rear view mirror. I did not like where I was parked and felt vulnerable in my little GEO Storm. I was right. Suddenly, I felt a devastating blow, and my car started to move. A deafening roar of crashing glass surrounded me, and I lost my breath as if I was being pulled under water. I held on tight to my steering wheel, started praying for my kids, and realized I was in a bad accident. I knew I was getting hit hard, and hoped for survival. As if in slow motion, my car came to rest sideways on the road divider.

I was alive! However, I felt strange, and my legs were tingling with little shocks as if they were asleep. I was told not to move because of possible paralysis and that an ambulance was on the way. I had been hit by the other car at 70 miles per hour. The EMT’s pulled me out of the car on a body board and whisked me away to the hospital. I caught a glimpse of my car as I was being wheeled away. The car was crumpled into a grotesque shape and the trunk was in the back seat. The only bumper sticker I have ever bought in my life was untouched, which stated “Angels are Watching Over Me.” No doubt, they were.

After a month of lying in bed, in pain, and unable to lift my head from the pillow for two weeks, I had time to reflect on my life’s circumstances. To provide for my children and keep our home, I was going to have to change my career. I returned to college for six years and achieved my Bachelor’s Degree in English/ Writing and a Master’s Degree in Teaching. It was a difficult, but very rewarding path. I struggled financially, felt like throwing in the towel a number of times, but kept going. I kept my home and took care of my kids to the best of my ability. I tried to be a good role model.

Currently, I am a teacher and involved in several ongoing projects. My son has called me a “hero,” and there is no greater compliment a child can give a parent. If it hadn’t been for the car accident, I might have lost everything. Serendipity—a fortunate discovery by accident. That frightening day led to a promising future.

Sharon Robinson