When Tragedy Strikes

Today,like any other day, was a regular Monday morning for me. I had left my house early, trying to beat the traffic,on my way to a one hour commute to work. I work in an area, where violence is known, but has(according to local residents) calmed down over the years. I arrived at work early, logged onto my laptop and thought I would check my ebay, facebook,etc etc,while I was still sitting in my vehicle. I looked up and noticed police tape circling a local business about 200 yards from my office door. Later I discovered that two local business owners had been previously shot the night before, and lost their lives to this random act of violence.



Now the reason I am starting this blog, is because I TOO, was a victim of a violent crime four years ago. I had always wanted to reach out and tell my story, but was so consumed with fear, I could barely type one sentence. But here goes. I was out with a friend of mine, and looking to have a great night, after a long six months of being in and out of hospitals, with a previous unexpected procedure. We had traveled to several places, and got lost. It's summer time at this point and my driver side window was partially down. I came to a stop and a man appeared out of nowhere with a gun and stuck his arm through my window, placing the barrel against my temple, demanding money, my car, me and my friend. I without hesitation, pleaded for mine and my friends lives. After a few seconds, I was able to floor the gas,and leave the scene, only to be shocked by the sounds of bullets hitting my vehicle. One went into my back, and the other into my friends arm, the rest the vehicle. The first thing I thought was, " I am going to die" "Why is this happening to me"? Then adrenaline set in, and I became very adamant on surviving, not dying. I drove to where the police and medics were waiting, put my car in park, and woke up a few short hours later in the Trauma Unit. When I awoke, all I saw was the bright light above me as I was lying on the table,feeling nothing but pain in my body, and fear in my spirit. I realized i had survived whatever had just happened to me, i wasn't sure if i had been in a wreck, or what. I was so confused and lost about the whole situation. It wasn't until a police officer came in to get my statement as to what had happened, that i realize i had been shot. The bullet rested a half inch away from my spinal cord,but did not exit but body. I was very grateful,but scared.

Over the next month or so, I began to have PTSD severely, convinced in my mind that this man, that shot me, was coming to get me, and my children. I had seen his face, but couldn't remember what he looked like. I had got away,and survived, but they never found the man that did this to me. Fear once again, took control over my life. I went on to live my life, trying to put the pieces back together, trying to understand, and comprehend why this happened to me. Someone who has never been a bad person, a great mother,friend, sister, and daughter had to suffer such a tragic event. I often asked myself had I done something so terrible in my life that this was my punishment for those wrong doings. I truly believe I was allowed to go through this so that me and my big mouth could help someone else. lol I am asking you today if anyone reads this to follow this blog,pass it along to someone you know who may have been a victim of a violent crime, and survived. This is my way of dealing with it today,maybe someone else could use a friend who has been through similar situations.

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