Learning from Mistakes

I believe in learning from mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. It’s how you respond and change that really matters.

There is no doubt in my mind that karma exists. I can’t explain how I know; it’s really just a gut feeling. I know it exists because it kicked my ass. I used to brag about my abilities as a drunk driver. I would claim that it was not as big a deal as everyone made it out to be. You just had to know your limits. Then karma showed me just how big it was.

At my friend’s high school graduation party (she’s a year younger than I am) I got blackout drunk. I was making an ass out of myself as usual. The crowd cheered me on as I shotgunned beers. I hopped on the karaoke mic and made a speech. People loved the show. When her mom saw the spectacle she made me give her my keys. I told her that I didn’t drive to the party and that I was getting a ride home with someone else.

An hour later I told everyone I was leaving. I stood up and everyone tried to talk me out of it. I said I was fine and that I could drive. When they still wouldn’t let me drive I bolted out of the basement and ran to my car. With everyone chasing after me I hopped in the driver’s seat and started the car. Before my friends could reach the car it sped off into the night.

I never made it home that night. My memory of the drive is hazy but, I do remember a few details. I remember taking my cell phone out of my pocket. I remember looking for a cd. I remember cutting the wheel hard and I remember being upside down at one point. The seatbelt caught the weight of my body as gravity pulled me down. The windshield cracked and the crack spread in all directions. The scar on my neck just recently healed.

The next thing I remember is waking up the following afternoon. Except for a few bruises, I was fine. My car wasn’t. My friends filled me in on the missing details. Before I got out of the neighborhood I flipped my car. The hill I rolled down was steep. The roll must have taken a good amount of time. My friends found me passed out behind the wheel. When they got me out I was speaking gibberish and stumbling. I tried to walk up the hill but fell flat on my face. My friends were so disgusted with me that they let me lay there for a while. When they finally picked me up I had grass stuck to my face. I looked pathetic.

I made a mistake. I admit it. I paid for it. I lost a car, my parents’ trust, and the rest of my summer, but a gained a valuable lesson. Since that night I haven’t driven drunk once. I wish I never had to begin with. I’m just thankful that my irresponsibility didn’t cost someone else their life.