By Request

Josie wanted to hear my "Red Truck Story." It's my only metaphysical experience. Here it is:
The custody arrangement for my daughter gave her dad summer custody. I got Kate every other weekend and for "up to 10 days of my choosing." It was summer, and it was my weekend, so on an early Friday evening, I hit the road to head for southeast Dallas. It was about a 39 mile trip during rush hour heading east on Hwy 30. There was a place I always stopped for beers (it was actually legal to drink and drive here back then) that was just a few miles from my house. This little store was just off of 820 south. I grabbed my beer and headed down the service road to get back on the highway. At the top of the hill before the access ramp was a 4-way stop. To the left is a bridge that crosses 820. Because of the hill of the service road and the arc of the bridge you really couldn't see much on the bridge. I pulled up to the 4-way stop, stopped and looked to my left. A large van pulled up at the same time. I was on a one-way service road so I only had two directions to check: my left and my right. There was no one on the right and just the van from the bridge on my left. This is where it starts to get weird.
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I've ALWAYS been one of those people that when at a 4-way stop, when the order is fuzzy, I shoot a certain look at the other driver and take off. Well, I looked at that driver and didn't move. Then my internal voice said, "What are you doing?" Then I looked at that driver again and they were looking at ME funny. So again, I was thinking "Why aren't you going? Why are you just sitting here?!?" It was like my brain couldn't figure out why my foot was not moving to press the accelerator and it was confusing the hell out of me. Then a small red truck came barreling through the intersection crossing right in front of me. They were in the lane to the left of the large van. I never saw that truck come across the bridge. I didn't see it until it flew right in front of me at about 45 or 50 mph.
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The van driver and I met eyes. We both had crazy eyes. I waved her through. Then I very carefully pulled through and very cautiously entered the highway. I was SO shaken up. I kept replaying that moment over and over in my head. If I had just proceeded as usual, that red truck would have slammed RIGHT INTO ME. And then: What made me hesitate? Why was I frozen and confused? WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? Although I was careful for the rest of that drive, I felt safe. I KNEW it wasn't my day to die.