A philosophic Aussie writes here at StPA, one who will readily admit to loving Scandinavia. I'm interested in global politics and what drives us to be who we are. Scratch the surface and you'll find a practical Environmentalist with an egalitarian bent, trying to unleash a little creativity via the written word.
Scandinavian culture, literature and traditions are close to my heart, even though I'm Australian. Travel and courteous discussions greatly broaden the mind, so I travel if I can and am always up for a vigorous, respectful discussion. I'm an avid reader, I enjoy photography and craft, particularly traditional art forms. I hope you'll find 'Something to Ponder About,' in my WordPress Community.
View all posts by Forestwood
Loosely based on a real life experience for me and my son, Janis! Except it was a large tree and not a car! These moments cause you to become reflective for a time and really appreciate the continuance of life. They are a shock to the nervous system though.
Hi Amanda,
I’ve had a few of those very clear what-could-have-been moments of escaping disaster. Very sobering moments. Well written, I liked it.
– David
Thank you David and it was lovely to have your visit StPA and leave a thoughtful comment. Those what if moments in life are indeed sobering. Sometimes I think we need them to jolt us out of our complacency of life? Yeah?
But the word count is a challenge for me to write well, and convey a descriptive enough message. I am trying to improve.
Short and sweet. Shows that you do not need a lot of words to tell a story but still colour in the whole picture. Well written. I crossed my fingers that the car won’t hit them.
I think it would be easy to build suspense by telling the cars side of the story as well, but you know, 100 words is difficult. I hope I am learning to be succinct! Thanks for your insightful and kind comment.
Your writing is beautiful, Amanda. I’m very glad to read that your son and you missed the fallen tree. So often our lives are just a millisecond away from being very, very different.
Good story Amanda. I like how you capture & contrast the different views of mother & daughter. It’s a clever way of presenting the girl’s view of her infallibility vs the mother’s mortification at a disaster averted.
Have you heard about the terrible Uvalde school shooting in Texas? This story brings to mind the horrible twist of fate that left half the kids in school while another went home with their parents. just before the shooting. The kids who stayed did so because they wanted to watch a movie.
I hadn’t heard about half the kids that go sent home. My goodness if your child stayed to watch a movie – and I know one of my kids would have chosen that – it would haunt you for the rest of your days. Those poor families – what grief and torture they must be going through. America is a country born in guns and will die in guns it seems.
The American psyche wrt guns is incomprehensible. On Sunday there was yet another mass shooting in a shopping mall. A lone gunman with a rifle went into the food court and randomly shot four people. The gunman was shot & killed by another civilian who was legally armed. It was like a shoot-out in a movie. But the worse thing is that it’ll be used as an example as why more Americans need to be armed – to protect themselves!
This tragic event will be a gift to the NRA, unfortunately. Sceptical me thinks it could even have been a set up between the NRA and a mentally unbalanced person but that seems ridiculous.
I can relate to this scene perfectly. We live at an intersection where there is a Give Way sign. It has been run over and completely flattened 5 times in 7 years. Often the driver just drives on, if there is no damage to their car. They take the corner lazily and badly. No one has ever been hurt, but it’s like the Monty Python skit…”There goes another one”. Great story!
It actually astonishes me that, sitting as we are atop a series of controlled explosions, and steering what is essentially a death-dealing missile at dizzying speeds through the thick of innocent populations, we don’t do much more damage than we do… There were those who predicted that the internal combustion engine would never become popular for those reasons, as well as the smell and noise. They reckoned without, I think, the overwhelming pleasure of seeing the sights without having to do so around a horse’s rump or two… 😆
Encapsulated so well, Ane! We take our lives into or hands every day. It is surprising that they aren’t more deaths and it shows how much thought goes into safety. Whereas a horse can also be a dangerous thing. And one can definitely appreciate nature more from its slower moving rump.
Even a bicycle is too much motion, effort and especially balance for me. For most of my adult life I’ve gone almost exclusively afoot ~ but now that strength is lacking for running errands in that way I’m most grateful to have been bought my little minivan by reader contributions 🙏
Is it? And mine was never what you’d call good to start with. Once had to catch myself from simply falling over from a standing position, right in the middle of a speech competition! Some kind of inner ear thing, I think. It’s not like I was tempted to take up water skiing (or any kind of skiing at all)! 😱😂
Inner ear issues are definitely tied into our sense of balance and yes having worked in physiotherapy field for a number of years, balance is the first thing to go with out age. Whether that be from a more sedentary lifestyle, weakened muscles, sight deterioration or inner ear issues, it affects our balance. Have you tried closing your eyes and standing on one leg. It is not easy and a good test of how one’s balance is. Warning: if you try this, have a wall close by to grab in case you fall.
Something to Ponder About 
A lifechanging event, great writing.
LikeLiked by 5 people
Thank you, Bridget. A similar event happened to me and my son, except it wasn’t a car but a tree falling over.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love it! Concise, but vivid!
LikeLiked by 4 people
The word count doesn’t give a rambly person like me much space to expand with descriptors. But it is a good writing discipline.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Wow, lucky escape
LikeLiked by 3 people
Indeed. Sadje! You got that message loud and clear.
LikeLiked by 1 person
👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very good. Life is a series of life-changing occurrences… some we miss by a hair, others we experience. I’m glad Phoebe and Petra missed this one.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Loosely based on a real life experience for me and my son, Janis! Except it was a large tree and not a car! These moments cause you to become reflective for a time and really appreciate the continuance of life. They are a shock to the nervous system though.
LikeLiked by 2 people
packed with action of ordinary events. glad they made it out alive.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Thanks for your visit and comment. I was going to title it a Near Miss ……
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Amanda,
I’ve had a few of those very clear what-could-have-been moments of escaping disaster. Very sobering moments. Well written, I liked it.
– David
LikeLiked by 4 people
Thank you David and it was lovely to have your visit StPA and leave a thoughtful comment. Those what if moments in life are indeed sobering. Sometimes I think we need them to jolt us out of our complacency of life? Yeah?
But the word count is a challenge for me to write well, and convey a descriptive enough message. I am trying to improve.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Short and sweet. Shows that you do not need a lot of words to tell a story but still colour in the whole picture. Well written. I crossed my fingers that the car won’t hit them.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I think it would be easy to build suspense by telling the cars side of the story as well, but you know, 100 words is difficult. I hope I am learning to be succinct! Thanks for your insightful and kind comment.
LikeLike
You are welcome.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Heartstopping.
LikeLiked by 3 people
A near miss wasn’t it, Peggy
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good story. Unfortunately many people have been through that kind of thing
LikeLiked by 3 people
I guess it is not a new story idea but it does make a person “stop” for a minute and think about their mortality.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Gives me a new perspective about all the times my mom called me back to pick up the forgotten sweater: Could that be why I’m still here now? …
LikeLiked by 2 people
Quite possibly! It didn’t bear thinking too much about those what ifs!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very nice write up blog.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Wow, that was lucky! Or, was it something else?
LikeLiked by 3 people
A narrow escape from disaster, yes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Amanda,
As the old saying goes, “If you don’t like my driving, get off the sidewalk.” Glad they escaped injury.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 2 people
Haha. Indeed. I haven’t heard that saying!
LikeLike
Ooh, chilling!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Loosely based on fact
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow – did it happen to you or someone you know?
LikeLike
Me and m family
LikeLike
It happens more than we like to admit. Nicely done.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you, Bill. So lovely of you to stop by.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome. My pleasure. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Phew a close call. Well done
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks Laurie!
LikeLike
Your writing is beautiful, Amanda. I’m very glad to read that your son and you missed the fallen tree. So often our lives are just a millisecond away from being very, very different.
LikeLiked by 2 people
You are so right Donna! Without realizing it, we live on a knife’s edge, constantly!
LikeLike
Good story Amanda. I like how you capture & contrast the different views of mother & daughter. It’s a clever way of presenting the girl’s view of her infallibility vs the mother’s mortification at a disaster averted.
Have you heard about the terrible Uvalde school shooting in Texas? This story brings to mind the horrible twist of fate that left half the kids in school while another went home with their parents. just before the shooting. The kids who stayed did so because they wanted to watch a movie.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hadn’t heard about half the kids that go sent home. My goodness if your child stayed to watch a movie – and I know one of my kids would have chosen that – it would haunt you for the rest of your days. Those poor families – what grief and torture they must be going through. America is a country born in guns and will die in guns it seems.
LikeLike
The American psyche wrt guns is incomprehensible. On Sunday there was yet another mass shooting in a shopping mall. A lone gunman with a rifle went into the food court and randomly shot four people. The gunman was shot & killed by another civilian who was legally armed. It was like a shoot-out in a movie. But the worse thing is that it’ll be used as an example as why more Americans need to be armed – to protect themselves!
LikeLike
This tragic event will be a gift to the NRA, unfortunately. Sceptical me thinks it could even have been a set up between the NRA and a mentally unbalanced person but that seems ridiculous.
LikeLike
I can relate to this scene perfectly. We live at an intersection where there is a Give Way sign. It has been run over and completely flattened 5 times in 7 years. Often the driver just drives on, if there is no damage to their car. They take the corner lazily and badly. No one has ever been hurt, but it’s like the Monty Python skit…”There goes another one”. Great story!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Whoa, unthinkable what would have happened if Mom hadn’t called them back. I think eventually the daughter will understand, too. Great story.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Indeed. Phoebe and Petra might be flat as toast. Life can change in an instant. Phoebe already thinks Mum is a worry wart.
LikeLiked by 2 people
It actually astonishes me that, sitting as we are atop a series of controlled explosions, and steering what is essentially a death-dealing missile at dizzying speeds through the thick of innocent populations, we don’t do much more damage than we do… There were those who predicted that the internal combustion engine would never become popular for those reasons, as well as the smell and noise. They reckoned without, I think, the overwhelming pleasure of seeing the sights without having to do so around a horse’s rump or two… 😆
LikeLike
Encapsulated so well, Ane! We take our lives into or hands every day. It is surprising that they aren’t more deaths and it shows how much thought goes into safety. Whereas a horse can also be a dangerous thing. And one can definitely appreciate nature more from its slower moving rump.
LikeLike
Even a bicycle is too much motion, effort and especially balance for me. For most of my adult life I’ve gone almost exclusively afoot ~ but now that strength is lacking for running errands in that way I’m most grateful to have been bought my little minivan by reader contributions 🙏
LikeLiked by 1 person
A minivan sounds fun. I had one once. I do still ride a bike but am thinking of getting a trike so balance won’t be such an issue.
LikeLike
I know, it gets a little scary wobbling on just two wheels!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Balance is the first sense to leave us when we age!
LikeLike
Is it? And mine was never what you’d call good to start with. Once had to catch myself from simply falling over from a standing position, right in the middle of a speech competition! Some kind of inner ear thing, I think. It’s not like I was tempted to take up water skiing (or any kind of skiing at all)! 😱😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Inner ear issues are definitely tied into our sense of balance and yes having worked in physiotherapy field for a number of years, balance is the first thing to go with out age. Whether that be from a more sedentary lifestyle, weakened muscles, sight deterioration or inner ear issues, it affects our balance. Have you tried closing your eyes and standing on one leg. It is not easy and a good test of how one’s balance is. Warning: if you try this, have a wall close by to grab in case you fall.
LikeLike
Haha, I’ll make sure! 😱
LikeLiked by 1 person