Dark Roads

Years ago, my wife and I were traveling down a dark lonely road.  We had just been to a foster parent training session and now we were taking the two lane county highway towards home.  We lived in the country and it was late, so we had the road all to ourselves, or so we thought.

The night was dark and wet.  A drizzly rain had set in.  Just enough to keep the smooth black pavement covered in a coating of moisture.  I was driving a 1976 Ford Mustang.  Of all the cars I’ve ever owned, I hated this one the most.  I don’t care how much gas costs, putting a 4 cylinder engine in a Mustang is just not right.  It was simply a heavier, slower, Pinto.

As I drove toward home, my wife and I made small talk.  We talked of becoming foster parents and other things.  I don’t remember the details, but I do know that we did not expect anything unusual to happen.  We were tired, but fully awake when it did.

I rounded a turn and looked down the wet road.  There were two eyes staring at me, glowing in the dark night.  A glow powered by my own headlights.  I applied the brakes as it became apparent there was something in the road.  It was a possum, and we were headed on a collision course.  More brakes.  Swerve. Avoid the possum.

The combination of the wet, slick road and the possum avoidance maneuvers was more than my low-budget bald tires could handle.  In no time, we were completely out of control.  Skidding, spinning, sliding sideways, rolling completely over, then backwards off the side of the road.  As the car came to a stop, it was backed into a steep road-side ditch.  We were still sitting in our seats, looking up at the night sky.  Despite the fact that neither us nor the possum were wearing seat belts, apparently, we had all survived.  My wife and I were thankful we had not been seriously hurt.  The possum, however, remained an ungrateful marsupial as he waddled on his way.

I learned a few things that night, which I will never forget.

1) Never scrimp on tires.  Replace them BEFORE the tread is completely gone.  You never know when that tread will save you from an accident.

2) Sometimes an old heavy car is a good thing.  We actually rolled that Mustang over. The wrecker came that night, pulled it out of the ditch, and we drove it home with grass stuck to the roof.
  
3) Never swerve to miss a possum.  He’s just not worth it.  Especially when the night is dark and the road you travel is treacherous. Make the decision now, while the sun is shinning.  You won’t have time to make a good decision once you’re on the dark road.  Determine now to stay on course no matter what you find on that dark, lonely road, and you’ll get home safe.