An accident in Nashville

“There are no accidents, all things have a deep and calculated purpose.”

Going to a show a few days before my accident. Life changes fast.

I drove to the greenway at 7 a.m. to go for a walk. I stopped at the red light at a big intersection. The light turned green and I proceeded. Within a second I heard an explosion.

My most vivid memory was of my body being tossed around in the car like I was in a dryer in SLOW motion.

I pretty much thought I had died while simultaneously thinking what just happened.

I’ve never been in an accident with airbags. Once they deployed the car was completely dark and smoky. I couldn’t get out. I panicked. The adrenaline was kicking in.

“Please, someone, help me!”

I finally got out and two witnesses told me someone ran the stoplight. I had been T-boned.

I was in shock. I didn’t know what to do. I shrugged off any pain except for my chest. Later the witnesses told me I should go get checked out. “She was going fast. You got hit pretty hard.”

I ended up in the E.R. with a cracked rib, bruises and anxiety so high I didn’t even know what to do. Oh yeah, and my beautiful 2020 Nissan Rogue was totaled.

From that point on I cried for two days straight.

The art of showing up

There are no accidents, all things have a deep and calculated purpose; sometimes the methods employed by Providence seem strange and incongruous, but we have only to be patient and wait for the result: then we recognize that no others would have answered the purpose, and we are rebuked and humbled.
— Mark Twain “The Refuge of the Derelicts" published in Fables of Man

After the accident I thought, “Who can I call? Who will show up for me?”

It’s too soon to know the purpose of this accident. But what I can tell you is that I am even more grateful than ever before for my friends and family and everything they did for me.

There is definitely an art to showing up. Showing up when you don’t want to. Doing what is right. Helping someone in need.

My takeaways

Dear God, thank you…

• for my friends who were in the E.R. with me, invited me to stay with them a few days, dropped off food, gave me flowers, stopped by to see me, invited me to dinner, called me, and comforted me. The list is very long.

• for teaching me that I don’t have to make excuses for being overly emotional. It is my strength as well as my weakness. ☺️

• for giving me another chance to do more in this life:
  LOVE more.
  LEARN more.
  GIVE more.

My healing process

What a great show. You must listen to the song below. It’s perfection.

I design the Nashville Musicians Magazine so I was thrilled to work on this issue featuring Sarah Jarosz. I’ve been a long-time fan. Click HERE to read the article.

What I did

• Go see one of my favorite artists at Basement East: Sarah Jarosz.

• Have a dinner party the day of my accident with awesome friends.

• Meet friends at AmericanaFest.

• Stay loyal to my brand. I bought the same car — a Nissan. Trust me. I will be using this as an example for my future branding classes.

• Take a mindfulness course with Ginger Sands.

• Meet other Nashville Substack writers who are way smarter and better writers than me.

• Write this newsletter for you because now I feel like we’re friends. But be careful about giving me your number. I might call if I need you.

• Cry, cry, cry! I’m melodramatic (remember I’m embracing this). This event scared me, shook me up inside and out, and made me feel way more vulnerable than you even know.

To Campbell, my son

Thank you for the most incredible gift of my life. Without you I would not know the meaning of unconditional love. And I didn’t need an accident to know this. 😊💕

God. Grit. Gratitude.

Two weeks later I’m so much better. I still have another month of healing but I’m ready to work hard, get my life in order and continue to get invited to dinner. Invite me any time!

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What’s coming next

• A new Nashville business, fashion and functional clothing, and the coolest home in Green Hills.

• Nashville musicians, producers and engineers I “went out with in college” and where they are today. LOL! It was college so “went out” is subjective.

• A spooky Nashville Halloween street party and my dear friend’s beautiful home in the coveted Belmont neighborhood.