As luck would have it...

First off, I'd like to say that bad things happen when you go to Wal-mart. Secondly, I would like to add that if luck was the only determining factor in my life, I'd certainly be dead by now--or as I think about it more, maybe it's the only thing keeping me alive.

My story begins as I was driving to good old Wally world when I got my first ever speeding ticket. I was taking a back country road and got carried away singing Old MacDonald with Jefferson. I knew I was out of luck when I saw a patrol car and looked down at my speedometer. I certainly wasn't trying to speed, but it was straight road with no other traffic or houses, and the speed limit was a meager 35 mph. I accepted the ticket and because I was going out of town the next week, I knew I had to get it taken care of immediately.

That next Monday, the only day the Springville court was open before my trip, I waved goodbye to a neighbor, dropped Jefferson off at Jill's house, and headed down to the court. I didn't know exactly where the court office was so I parked down by the fire station, and just figured I would walk down to where I thought it was. As I worked my way into the main building, I noticed a young man lurking on the far end of the civic building's main entrance. He was heading out the main doors, so I didn't pay any more attention to him after that. I saw a sign with directions on it, so I paused to look at it for a minute. A janitor emptying out a garbage in a little nook asked if he could help me. I remember thinking, "this is the nicest old man ever!" He directed me to the court doors a little down the hallway. I remember seeing the doors, so I turned my head to thank the janitor who was around the corner. No sooner had I said, "Oh, I see the doors. Thanks so much," when I found myself knocked completely around with my bum on the floor.

My first thought was supreme embarrassment as I thought I had run into a metal pipe or something really hard. I was super dizzy, my head was pounding and throbbing, and everything was just spinning around. The next thing I remember was the janitor running out and asking what had happened to me. Around that same time, another guy came running up to me and started screaming, "Stay back, get away from her," over and over. He kept saying that a guy had just punched me. I was in pure shocked and just kept saying that I didn't know what happened. I turned to look at the guy who was standing a few feet from me. I had never seen him before in my life, and he was just glaring at me with so much hatred and anger.

(eta: Apparently, this guy had gone out the main doors following another girl, but then changed his mind and ran back into building using the side doors where he saw me heading. I guess I was prettier or something, haha :)

As the reality of what had happened set in, I just lost it emotionally. At this point the janitor went to get the cops who were located next door. The next thing I know is my neighbor who I had just said goodbye to that morning was standing in front of me. I was a little embarrassed to be crying at that point, but I just couldn't control it. I am using pretty calm and controlled, so I have to blame pregnancy hormones for that. He called Jason for me, took me back into an interview room with ice and tissues, and even drove my car home for me. Now, that's a good neighbor.

The police chief came in and asked to get a statement. He also took my ticket and got it all ready for me to pay it so I wouldn't have to go into the court. At that point, I was like, are you seriously going to make me pay that thing after all this? Jason came and luckily knew the court attendant so after all was said and done I didn't have to pay it (but still have to go to traffic school). We went to the doctor and had everything checked out, especially to make sure everything was okay with the baby. He said I had a minor concussion, and would be sore and bruised for a while, but everything else checked out. I had a splitting headach for three days, sore neck, painful chewing, and lots of stares at my black eye, but that was the worst of it.

In some ways, I think I have the worst luck with random things happening to me. But then as I examine things more closely, I realize that I am truly blessed. For one, Jefferson was not with me that morning, for two, that the guy didn't have a weapon, three, that I was hit in the face and not the stomach, and lastly, that so many strangers came to my aid without regard for their own safety.