Thanks Grandma Sylvia and Grandma Sylvia...

I was hit by a car today.

More accurately my bicycle was crushed between the grill of a skidding car and the concrete lamp post upon which I was leaning, immobile, as I waited for the light to change from red to green. 

It's such a cliché to say that everything goes in slow motion when an accident is happening, but that's exactly how it was.  I saw the little Tico flying down the road to make the green light, and I saw the grey sedan make the left on the red light putting him on a collision course with the Tico.  I knew they were going to collide but it didn't occur to me that I might be in danger.  As they smashed into each other, the grey car lurched towards me and as I struggled to pull my foot from the clipless pedal I was pinned to the post.

Upon closer inspection, the axle of my rear suspension linkage and the bottom bracket bared the brunt of the force.  I will go as far as to say that the frame and its components saved my life, or at least my legs.  The round nut on the suspension linkage bored a hole a half inch deep into the concrete post.  It was shocking to see that because the car didn't seem like it was going that quickly when it hit me, but I guess that's a lot of mass to stop.  I doubt my flesh would have bored a hole in anything but itself.

As I sat there on my bike, stuck to the pedal, I did an inventory.  Amazingly I didn't feel that bad.  Was it the adrenaline?  As it turns out, no.  I am certain that someone, some energy or spirit intervened.  I like to think it was the spirits of my late grandmothers, both named Sylvia, reaching out from wherever it is they currently reside, to keep that car from crushing me.

I agreed to go the to hospital to get checked out and lo and behold, they found me unscathed as well.  I have a cut on my knee, probably from a shattering headlight, and a cut on my big toe which was squeezed against the post by the car.

I am very grateful to be in one piece.  And how ironic is it that while on my hundred or so rides on super technical trails and downhill runs I have suffered nary a scratch, but venturing out onto a street corner proves nearly disastrous.

I am going to get into bed with a book.  I am reading THE LIFE OF PI which coincidentally discusses whether or not God exists.

I don't need any convincing this evening. 

Thank You.