Why Didn't I Die?

by Judith Ashley

It happened on a Sunday about this time of year over forty years ago. I-84 was fairly new and not as well traveled as it is today. I'd spent the weekend in Umatilla, OR and was driving home to Portland - traveling west on I-84.

"The Rains" had arrived.

Wipers and radio on, I was singing along.

One minute I was driving and the next I was flying…my car hydroplaning. 

I lost control, spun out, and crashed into the cement divider. When the car stopped it was pointing the wrong way. Barreling towards me was a pick-up truck and cars.

I’m going to die, flashed through my mind. 

Accepting my fate, I curled in a ball facing the back of the front seat covering my head and face with my arms hoping I protected my face enough that the casket wouldn’t need to be closed.

My life did not flash before my eyes but I did pray my son would be okay and that he would be able to stay with my parents and not go to Ohio to live with his father.

Tapping and a voice caught my attention.

“Are you okay?” a male voice called out.

I lifted my head. A man knocked on my window.

Stunned, I struggled to sit, the seat belt still tight around my waist.

It wasn't easy but he managed to open my door. (The passenger side door was lodged against the cement divider). Thoroughly shaken, with supreme effort I scooted out and leaning heavily against the car, stood.

Another driver stopped and directed traffic until the state police arrived and took over that job. After getting my information and account as to what happened, the trooper arranged for my car to be towed to the nearest town, Cascade Locks.

A few days later, a friend of mine drove me out to get my car in his truck.

I stood staring at my car, my only transportation and the reality of what could have been slammed into my gut. My knees wobbled and if there had been a place to sit nearby, I would have reached for it. Instead I grabbed my friend's arm and held on until the wave of weakness passed.

I had no choice. In order to get my car back to my place I had to steer. We had a towline not a trailer. It was a dicey trip from Cascade Locks to North Portland. We stopped more than once and at the very end had to push my car onto the parking pad behind my house. 

Lessons learned?

Beware when "The Rains" come. Pavement turns to glass.

The concept “Life is fleeting” is a reality, not a myth. 

Some things did die that day (the car totaled, my belief that I was invulnerable destroyed). 

Yet, over forty years later, when I think back on that time, I have no idea how those vehicles stopped in time. I have no idea why I didn’t die.  

http://judithashleyromance.com
http://judithashleyromance.blogspot.com
http://glasserconceptstraining.com

And yet, when I think back on these past forty years, I can see many things I was able to accomplish in my work with vulnerable children and adults. Most recently I wonder if I survived that day so I could tell stories. 

So maybe this is why?                                       

Or This?

Or This?

Book One in The Sacred Women's Circle Series

© 2014 Judith Ashley 

The Future of Doors

By Judith Ashley

I'm very aware that this month's topic for the Genre-istas is "Favorite Romantic Cliches", after all I'm one of the Blog Queens who came up with this idea.

The only thing that came to mind as I sat down to write this month's post was "It was a dark and stormy night" along with "Time stood still" and "He was tall, dark and handsome". Not much for a 200 - 300 word post.

Doorway at Roslyn Chapel, Scotland

What did pop into my mind more than once was the phrase "When one door closes, another opens." I know those words do not fit the topic: romantic cliches. I'm not sure those words even fit cliche-status. Area they trite? I'm not sure but I do hope they are true.

Why? Because the weekend of September 5 - 7 I'll be working as an After Hours Consultant which translates into I'm a resource for vulnerable adults in Multnomah County, Oregon should problem occur after normal business hours. And, this weekend is the next to the last one I'll be scheduled for. I retire from this work on October 31, 2014.

October 1, I start my nineteenth year in this position - one night a week, one weekend a month (sometimes more if one of the other team members is unavailable).

What do we do? Tonight I was paged because a neighbor was concerned about a disabled woman in the apartment complex where they live.

Last weekend, the four team members split the long weekend. I had the Friday from 4 p.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday shift. My replacement has been hired and he shadowed not only me but the other team members all weekend.

Friday night a police officer called in with concerns about a man he'd checked on who had a head injury who was refusing medical treatment. When we went to his house the next morning, we found him on the floor, blood caked all over his head, face and upper body. The house was filthy with no electricity or water. The gentleman had no phone and was unable to call for help. I had my phone and called 911 asking for help. The fire department and ambulance responded and he was taken to an emergency room to be evaluated.

A woman who is on dialysis due to renal failure called. She was out of food. That call came in near the end of my shift so the next team member got her some food - enough to last through the long weekend.

One of my favorite places in the world - Depoe Bay OR

I tried to find a woman who was reported to be confused, thinking people lived in an apartment above her (there is no apartment above her, only the roof). She wasn't home.

One of the day staff was worried about an older gentleman whose roommate, who also did some care-giving activities, was arrested. He was managing well because someone else stepped up and made sure he had groceries, etc.

Since I made the decision to close the door on this part of my working career, I've had so many experiences. A dirty home that made it to the top three of all the homes I've ever been in (and that number is well over a thousand); taking police out with me twice in one day due to the reported possible danger I'd be in if I went alone; an EMT in his 20's or maybe his early 30's lecturing me about patient rights (I did not say anything snarky although I know one eyebrow arched and my jaw tightened).

In the last two months,without After Hours interventions, at least three people could have died.

When this door closes, I do expect another door to open. I'm not sure what will be on the other side. I am not picturing fleas, filth, rotten food, cockroaches, sticky floors, squishy floors - well, you get the picture.

The Blog Queens Book Signing - Desert Dreams 2014

When the next door opens, I'd love to see quality time to write, large royalty checks and books signings.
Whenever I offer a workshop or training, people will sign up! I'll have time to spend with family and friends at the coast, in the mountains and at home. In this utopia, weeds will not grow in my yard nor will any plants die.

My belief that when one door closes another opens is soon to be tested.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences with one door closing and another opening. Please share!

For more about my books check out my website at
http://judithashleyromance.com   and my author page at
http://windtreepress.com

When Evil comes Knocking by Paty Jager

I don't believe in werewolves, vampires, and other dark world creatures. But I also don't like to read books or watch shows about them or anything that is scary and heinous. There's a reason I close my eyes and hide my face when commercials for scary movies and supernatural TV shows flash across my television screen.

Some nights without watching or reading anything that is ghastly I can be visited by vile ugly creatures in my dreams. And not just my dreams. Many nights I'll wake up and snuggle up to my husband after thrashing to wakefulness from being chased by the menacing creatures, and when I try to close my eyes and go back to sleep they are lurking behind my eyelids. Then I spend long hours with my eyes wide open so I can keep them out of my head.

I thought these were just my own fears attacking me until I had a long thoughtful conversation with one of my daughter's friends when we drove from Oregon to Montana to a wedding. It seemed she spent many nights being chased or chasing creatures who sounded a great deal like my creatures. But she was resigned to the fact her grandmother told her she was a keeper of the gates. That at night while she slept, she battled the creatures of Hell to keep them from entering this world and causing havoc. This young woman was completely sincere when she said, "I am a keeper of the gate and even if I lose sleep, I need to be there. It's why I am on this earth."

What she said sounded a lot like a paranormal book, but she was serious about her part in keeping the evil out of this world.

I don't know if I'm a gate keeper like she is, but I would like to think my running from the evil and staying awake is one way of thwarting them.

Paty Jager
www.patyjager.net
www.patyjager.blogspot.com

Labor Day

The origin of Labor Day in the USA was when a machinist, Matthew Maguire, who served as the secretary of the Central Labor Union, proposed the holiday in 1882.  This would be and is a day to recognize and show appreciation for the workers.

My state, Oregon, was the first state to make it an official holiday in 1887. It would take seven more years until the Federal Government made Labor Day an official holiday for the country.

Labor Day is considered the last big weekend for summer.  School used to start right after Labor Day, but now starts at various dates across the nation.  For many years it was considered unfashionable to wear white or seersucker after Labor Day.  My how times have changed!

The ways to celebrate this holiday are endless.  For many it is the last day to go camping, water skiing or taking a short trip with the family.  Many towns celebrate with parades, picnics, barbecues, firework displays, and fairs.

Of course, not everyone gets Labor Day off or a Labor free weekend.  Department stores have one of their biggest sales over Labor Day.  Plus, there are any number of businesses that do not close their doors over Labor Day weekend.

I must say it is nice to have a holiday between July fourth and Thanksgiving.  That’s what I like.  Especially when I worked full time, it was a blessing to have Labor Day off!

This Labor Day I’m hoping for company and some good times.

What are your plans?

Introducing Judith Ashley

I’m Judith Ashley and I’m so glad you’ve stopped by. You might wonder how I came to be here and I’d love to tell you. I’m a Native Oregonian (not many of us around anymore) except for three months of my life when I lived in Ohio. I love the Pacific Northwest and while we have our high desert country, for the most part I’ve lived in the wet part of the state…so I’ve moss on my north-side. 

While I’ve lived in the same state all my life, I’ve had a very eclectic work history. The common thread being I’ve always worked with people supporting them in having the best life possible given their circumstances. The second thread is education: from being a classroom teacher to showing clients more effective ways of living their lives.

Semi-retirement suits me because it gives me time to write something that I love instead of something required to get a paycheck. Well, in truth, to get those royalty checks – hmmm, don’t think I’ll go there. And that brings me back to why I’m here.