"Don't worry, I'm a good drunk driver!" These are the worst words that I can ever hear come out of anybody's mouth. I don't think people realize how ignorant, childish, and just plain stupid they sound when they try to make themselves look cool by saying things like this.
In July of 1991, a woman who may have considered herself a "good drunk driver" or was just selfish enough to make the decision to get behind the wheel of a car while drunk and high, killed my Aunt Kristine as well as her best friend.
I hadn't been born yet when this tragic accident happened, but it still has had a big impact on my life. Although I never was able to meet my Aunt Kristine, I have heard so much about her from my family, that I wish I had. But because of some selfish woman, I will never have that chance.
After the accident, my aunt spent hours in surgery. Both of her legs were broken, her ankle was shattered, her collarbone was broken, both arms were broken, even her eye sockets were shattered. Her heart was bruised from such a hard impact with her seatbelt on. They told my family that she was alive, but in critical condition. They said she would have to re-learn basic motor skills like walking, talking, and she would have to be completely taken care of. That was until Kristine's brain swelled enough to cause her to fall into the irreversible state of brain death. My grandma then had to make the difficult and heart breaking decision to unplug the machines that were breathing for and keeping her youngest daughter alive, and let her go.
And for the woman who is to blame for all of this, she spent her too-short of time in jail, recovered from minor non-life-threatening injuries, and she is living her life in another state. It makes me wonder if she even feels guilty. Does she think her night of drinking and drugs was worth the destruction, murder, and heartbreak she caused? Does she think about it on a daily basis? I sincerely hope that she is kept awake at night with the thoughts of what she did.
Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if my Aunt Kristine were still around, I think about it at holidays and family events and wonder how different it would be. My mom wouldn't have to be an only child, I would probably have cousins on my mom's side of the family, who I could have grown up with and had been my best friends. My family wouldn't have had to suffer through the effects of losing her, and spending every day wishing she were still here.
People who choose to drink and drive are some of the most selfish people I can imagine. They don't realize that getting behind the wheel of a car after a night of drinking can not only change their life but alter the lives of people they don't even know. Why would you willingly make a decision that could take someone else's life, as well as possibly take your own life? Especially when the solution is so simple. Have a designated driver, call a cab, or have a place to stay when you start drinking.
For me, the stories I have been told about what happened to my Aunt Kristine and how it affected and still affects my family were enough for me to understand at a young age that alcohol and driving do not mix, the decisions I make do not solely impact my own life, but also the lives of those around me, and not to take one minute for granted, because life can change in an instant.
I pray that someday, this won't be such a hard concept to grasp. Don't wait until it's too late to understand the consequences of your actions.
