Monday, July 23, 2007

Memory Monday

I have 19 minutes to write this until it was actually Tuesday.

I bet it wouldn't surprise you to know that I was a hyper child. It took three years and three distinct events to bring me down a few notches. Anyone who knew me back then would have a hard time believing that I am a calm, cool, and collected adult now. (Ahem)
When I was 12, I spent a week camping with girls from my church. At the end of the week I was given the "Voices Carry" Award. This "honor" came to me because everyone was always telling me to shut up as in the lyrics to the song "Voices Carry" by the band 'Til Tuesday. You remember the one, "... he said shut up, he said shut up... oh won't you please keep it down... voices carry..." You would think I would have taken the hint, but no.
The next summer when I was 13, I annoyed my older brother to the point that he turned me upside down and banged my head on the floor. This incident sent me to the emergency room for a mild concussion. Again, you would think that I would start to evaluate my behavior, but no.
Finally, the summer of my fourteenth year, on our way home from a mid-week activity at church, I finally received the comeuppance that changed my life. My sister, Carronin was driving my friend and I home. When we came to a stoplight, my friend and I got out of the car and did a Chinese Fire Drill. Carronin threatened to leave us if we got out, but we were not to be deterred. She did as promised and drove off through the intersection. I ran after her without stopping, looking, and listening. I was hit by a car coming the other way. As I was flying through the air I thought to myself, "This is just a bad dream and I am going to wake up at anytime." My sister, my friend, and the other driver quickly came to my aid and an ambulance was called. I don't know if I tried to get up, but I laid there on the ground until it got there. Miraculously, I had no broken bones or serious injuries, just really bad road rash. I feel sorry for the driver, I literally came out of nowhere. There was no way to avoid what happened. I believe his insurance paid for the whole thing. My accident happened just before I started high school. Word got around school about what had happened to me, some people even said that it was Carronin who hit me with the car. I thought that it was pretty cool that I was just a lowly freshmen, but people were talking about me.
That near death experience mellowed me out a lot. Instead of being hyperactive and talkative middle schooler, I went on to be a boy crazy and talkative high schooler. Which was worse? I do not know.
Doh! Too late, it's already Tuesday.

23 comments:

  1. First!

    The advantage of Hawaii's time difference...

    Yikes! I did not see that car crash coming, either! Ouch! You could have been so hurt!

    I just got home from camp and I can think of one girl who could have won the Voices Carry Award...

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  2. My love, respect, and admiration for Carrie has just deepened.

    Sooooo glad you weren't seriously hurt, but sheeeeesh!

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  3. And now I'll be singing Voices Carry for the rest of the day.

    You were a high school hit because of a hit. Isn't it ironic, don't you think? A little too ironic, and I really do think.....

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  4. Oh, why can't you keep it doooooooowwwwwwwwn!!!

    It's amazing how often "hyperactive" leads to "boy-crazy" but I wouldn't have personal experience with that or anything.

    I knew about the concussion story but I had no idea you were hit by a car. Holy crud. I'm glad you're still around and able to blog.

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  5. How scary to have been hit by a car! I think that would make anyone stop and reflect a little.

    I was so much like you at that age! There were also a few experiences that I went through that keyed me down a bit. I was too hyper in Elementary school, too shy in middle and by high school I was just fine, but still always a loud and boy-crazy person! :)

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  6. Well you were definitely noticed and probably well like as well. The school of hard knocks that’s a hard one to get out of, but you learn young that you didn’t have to learn that way. Others of us are way more stubborn then that.

    So glad that you were not seriously hurt and that you are here today to make all our lives more interesting just by knowing you.

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  7. Gracious, such stories. I think I'd go for boy crazy over hyperactive, particularly since I was the latter. :-)

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  8. So glad you were okay! That is really scary...

    In high school I was awarded the "Hi" award in our band class. I was a sophmore and the seniors gave out the awards - they snickered and laughed and rolled their eyes as they announced "She says HI to EVERYONE. Doesn't matter who it is" ... I felt stupid. Thought that it was NICE to say hi... been a lot more timid since then...

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  9. The lovely thing about blogger is that it makes the time of your post when you started typing it. (Or you can just go down and change the time and date that is displayed-we might never notice!)
    I bet Carronin felt badly for leaving you there. How upset were your parents?

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  10. it's good to know some things never change

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  11. I'm so jealous. If I'd had a head injury like that I'd use that for all kinds of excuses. Test? What test?!! You know I had a head injury, right? You know I have problems with my short term memory, right???

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  12. Okay I LOVE this STORY and I'm a sympathizer with Carronin, because I ran over my sister's foot after dropping her off at junior high and my syblings have never let me live it down.
    I also LOVE Amy Mann so ten points for the song referrence.
    Was Carronin FREAKING OUT?
    That really is the craziest story!
    LOVE IT!

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  13. annie,
    I love your stories! I heard this before. Not from you. from friends at school. I am glad that you are good.

    Nothing to see here folks-just keep moving on.....

    Hey I want to say something here . To the Wonderful Good Mail Girls! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! Each and every one of you made my birthday special! I am tellin ya that for about two weeks i recieved a bunch of Good Mail! Every day!! I have a ton of goodies and not one thing is the same.
    So,I am going shoppping to send out more GOOD MAIL for you girls!! : )
    My awesome husband and beautiful daughter bought me a new dinning room table and chairs, bar stools and a china hutch. I am so excited! I have been wanting them for along time. : )
    Annie, I still owe you lunch. call me or email me and lets go!
    Again-Thank you Every one.
    GOOD MAIL GIRLS ROCK!
    polly

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  14. Talk about learning things the hard way Annie! What a miracle that you weren't hurt badly! I'm sure Carronin felt awful, even though it wasn't her fault.

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  15. Annie! You were a legend, BEFORE the car accident! At Girls camp the following year, she gained notoriaty for carrying her water bottle around with her bra as a sling...true story.

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  16. I can totally picture you bounding down the road after carronin, and getting hit by a car. In my head it's really funny. I'm sure it wasn't to you, but it's making me chuckle.

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  17. That's a great story. I am so glad that you weren't hurt! That's insanity. Not many people have a story like that!

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  18. Whoa! That's crazy. I'm glad you were ok. I was trying to think of something witty to say, but I'm still shocked by the story! Crazy!

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  19. Hey, I skimmed over your post and didn't find my name. So I got bored and left.

    ;) *smooooooch*

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  20. Wow, that story was INSTENSE!

    Thanks for the lovely card in the mail! I loved it and of course you can call me Cutie Lauren...it helps my self esteem greatly haha.

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  21. Now that is a great seester story.

    (And it totally wallops the one my sister tells of me chasing her with a snake through the garden.)

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  22. you actually had time to THINK as you were flying through the air?!

    i like elizabeth w's idea of faking memory loss to get out of tests. very smart, that elizabeth w is.

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