Dear Drunk Driver,
Last night, as I was traveling home from work, I was thinking about the joy of seeing my family. I was thinking about the amazing kids I had spent the week with at camp. I was thinking about how lucky I was to work with such amazing people, how lucky I was to share with them and my family the amazing stories of my courageous campers. I was thinking about my to do list for the next day, and was glad to be only 50 miles from home. Less than and hour to go. What I was not thinking about was having to call my dad in shock, delivering the news that I was not going to make it home. What I was not thinking about was having to sit on the side of the highway wondering how I was alive and if somebody behind me, down the road, wasn't as lucky or safe like I was. What I was not thinking about was worrying every time I get in the car. Constantly seeing your car in my head, your headlights coming towards me, wondering if that was it. At 11:41 pm, when you entered my lane traveling the wrong direction at 70+ mph, you took away my peace of mind. You took away my joy, my stories, my to do list. You totaled my car, my most precious possession. I am incredibly blessed, incredibly lucky that you didn't take my life as well. Two more feet and you very well could have.
As a young adult, I am constantly telling my friends "call if you need a ride, make safe choices, don't drink and drive." My friends make fun of me for being such a worry wart calling me mom, telling me that they know, that they aren't stupid. I worry anyway, it is college after all, people make stupid decisions. Did you know? Did people tell you that it wasn't safe to drink and drive? Did people warn you about the consequences of your actions? I have mentioned some already, and by now I am sure you are sober enough to recognize what you have done. At least, I hope you recognize what you have done.
There were families in the cars on the road you choose so thoughtlessly to travel on. There were people looking forward to vacations, to seeing family, to going home on that road. There were kids sleeping in the backseat of the minivan that I had passed at the previous exit. What if you had hit them? What if you had hit a car that couldn't protect it's driver as well as mine did? What if you had seriously hurt somebody? What if you had killed someone? Could you live with yourself?
I don't hate you for what you did. I am glad that you didn't hurt yourself last night. I don't know you. I don't have any clue what you possessed you to make the choice that you did. I don't know your struggles, your stressors, your temptations. I don't know if you have a family or friends or people that worry about you getting home safely. But I do. So do many of the people that you endangered last night with your choice, your recklessness. I had to listen to the fear and worry in my parents voices when they picked up the phone. I had to watch my dad's face, after he traveled 50 miles to come get me, as he viewed the damage that you did. I now have to worry about how this will affect my family financially and spiritually, as we deal with the aftermath of your decision.
I hope sincerely that you learn from this. That you see the affect your choice has had on you and the lives of those caught in your path last night. I hope that you never make this choice again. Next time you, and the people on the road with you might not be as lucky.
