I'm breaking the rules today. It's the rebel in me. Also, Ziva is a million miles or a galaxy or two away, and if MikeWJ ever comes this way, I can probably outrun him because he'll have his big-ass stalker camera hanging from his neck.
Fear
Fear for me brings immediately to mind lightning, fire, and our home burning. That's my biggest fear. "Been there, done that" doesn't quite express it, but you get the point.
The hubby and I were out driving the other day and I brought my camera in case I saw something to shoot. I told him that unless there was a lightning storm in the forecast, I had no idea what to take a picture of for "fear." I considered having him stop at the pet store so I could take a picture of a snake safely enclosed in a glass tank. Then we happened to pass a business that I knew, and I asked him to turn around. There in the parking lot, I saw things that could strike fear into the bravest of men, especially those with teenage children:
- Driver's Education Cars!!! Dun-dun-dunnn...
We laughed and got back on the road that leads us home, when we both spied smoke above the tree lines coming from the area near our house. It was thick and black and billowing in the distance. We both drew a breath and sat there silently for a minute.
This was the exact scene that my husband had experienced on the night of our fire. I had called him saying "Come home! Our house is on fire and 911 isn't working!" He sat in traffic on this same road and watched the smoke, unable to get home quickly or make the traffic move through intersections with no power. I can't imagine the fear and frustration that he must have felt being stuck there and knowing that it was his home he was seeing the smoke coming from and that his family was watching it burn. His experience that night was different yet no less horrifying then mine. It is no wonder that this view is truly our biggest fear.
See what fear lurks around these other participants:
Wow! I don't think I could have taken that shot. One step closer to conquering your fear maybe? Or I could be full of shit.
ReplyDeleteOnce that we checked our cell phones to be sure that our children weren't calling in a panic we drove towards the smoke and I took the shot through the windshield. It was harder on my husband than me as I had not seen our home from a distance like he had.
DeleteThe fear of being stuck on a road while your house burns, now that is simply terrifying.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine what must have been going through his mind.
DeleteA mixture of humor and pathos. You had me laughing at first, until I read the second part and saw the photo. Nicely done.
ReplyDeleteThanks. It is a fear that I'll never get past, so I might as well face it.
DeleteI like how the happiness of your day went up in smoke the minute you saw---smoke! I can't imaging combining fun and fear in one post as well as you have.
ReplyDeleteIt was quite a switch in our mood. We were pleasure cruising in his convertible.
DeleteFire is one of my biggest fears too. I am so sorry your family went through this, but so relieved you are all okay.
ReplyDeleteIt gets further in our past, yet still sticks a knife in our stomach from time to time.
DeleteEXCELLENT! I AM scared of kid drivers and God bless their poor parents.
ReplyDeleteThis place actually taught my daughter last summer. Pretty funny because the guys who run it are all old and deaf!
DeleteOkay, the Driver's Education Cars = cracked me up.
ReplyDeleteBut the black smoke, house on fire, photo BREAKS MY HEART. I can't even begin to imagine what you've been through. I am truly sorry your family had to deal with this type of tragedy.
Glad you liked the cars! The rest we are all healing from quite nicely. That photo doesn't bother me nearly as much as others that I have posted.
DeleteOkay, today, I will forgive you for breaking the rules. I am terrified of fire, always have been. Kept having nightmares about it for the longest time. I couldn't imagine how horrific it would be to watch your house burn..
ReplyDeleteThank you for being kind, you have set the standard for Michael to follow.
DeleteAs for the fire, it sucked.
I really try not to think about it. But it nags at me. We live in a neighbourhood where everyone is on a well. We have no fire hydrants. Any water to put out a house fire would come from our swimming pool. Not too comforting in winter. So sorry you had to go through such an experience.
ReplyDeleteHopefully they can put it out quickly. We have a hydrant 2 doors down, we just had no fire crews. If they had been available, we would not have had such a huge loss.
DeleteHeh. You almost take your own life in your hands when you drive around here on any day but, believe it or not, our "learners" drive better than most others motorists who have had their licences for years.
ReplyDeleteAs for your fire, I'm sorry you had such a tragic loss and can appreciate the fear you must have felt witnessing that recent plume of smoke.
;-)
The worst drivers around here probably are not legal in the country and have no license. That really scares me.
Deleteooo, perfect for fear! so awful, but poignant.
ReplyDeleteYou said it!
DeleteI can't even imagine. I'm so sorry that you not only experienced something so devestating, but that you live with the constant fear.
ReplyDeleteIt's an irrational fear and I am a very logical person so it is really frustrating!
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