Be Prepared

by Judiet du Toit

This weekend I drove to my parents in the Free State, accompanied by a friend.

On Sunday, on my way back, the weather turned really bad as I reached the highway. It was raining and there was severe winds and hail at some stages.

My friend took a video on her cell phone. She had never seen something like it before. It felt as if we were in a car wash.

The traffic moved at 40 km/h with lights and hazards on. I thought of pulling my car of the highway until the weather was better – but this is not the safest thing to do in South Africa.

Suddenly a car stopped in the middle lane in front of where I was driving at 40 km/h. My first reaction was to swerve to the left so that my friend wouldn’t be injured.

My foot hit the brake and the car slid over the road because of the weather. From here I can’t remember anything.

They always say that your whole life flashes in front of you before something like this happens. I promise you, this doesn’t happen at all.

It was a split second and everything was over, except the rain. Luckily nobody was injured.

An hour later it felt as if life came back to my legs for the first time. I was still standing on the highway without my shoes. I couldn’t find them!

Now, it is hard for me to accept that there was nothing I could do to prevent this from happening.

If there is one thing I learned from this experience, it is that you have to live with a clear conscience.

Always be prepared for the worst. This way, you won’t get disappointed that easily.

Don’t hesitate to do that one thing you wanted to do so badly all your life!