Monday, February 8, 2010

ANGELS WATCHIN' OVER ME!

“But to which of the angels said he at any time,
Sit on my right hand,
until I make thine enemies thy footstool Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” (Hebrews 1:13-14)

There was a contemporary Christian song by Amy Grant back in the 1980s about
”Angels Watchin’ Over Me”. Well, today, I had angels watchin’ over ME!

What a morning it was!

I completely lost brakes on my ‘89 Volkswagen Golf at 8:30 this morning in downtown Framingham. Things could have been a thousand times worse!

As I was braking and rounding the little traffic circle in front of the Memorial Building, I felt and heard a CLUNK and I knew I’d lost most, if not all, of my brakes! Typically downtown Framingham has bumper to bumper traffic at that time, and also can be completely jammed up with cars if a train is going through. There were no trains going through and the traffic was light and flowing right along. I coasted into a right turn from Concord St. to Park St. by the TD Bank. There’s a STOP sign at Park and Franklin Sts. There’s NO WAY this car was going to stop! I coasted into a right turn onto Franklin Street.

Suddenly in front of me on Franklin Street was a CONSTRUCTION SITE, a POLICE OFFICER indicating for me to STOP, and a car on MY side of the road proceeding in my direction as directed by the cop.

What a spot to be in!

Thank God this is an area I’m very familiar with. Coming up on the right was a large parking lot, but it was a little too far forward. However, immediately on the right was a driveway which links to the parking lot. I lurched right into the driveway just missing the cop and car!

I coasted the car across the entire length of the parking lot.

I aimed it into a snow bank and it stopped.

I felt this would be an awkward position for a tow truck, so I put it in reverse, and cut the wheel hard, and backed in into another snow bank.
That was that!

I called AAA. They were not entirely pleased with me, because my AAA Membership expired Feb. 1. I have not sent the renewal fee in yet because I just haven’t had it. Usually AAA DOES give you about 4-5 weeks grace before they cancel you. Due to that grace period, they did service me today. Thank God.

The AAA driver turned out to be a born-again Christian brother, Mark Wilkins who used to play in my friend Duff Kirklewski’s Christian rock group “Harbinger”. I got in the cab of the flatbed. The Volkswagen is now sitting in my driveway.

That’s going to be “it” for the Volkswagen. I thank God as this could have been SO much worse!

Imagine if I’d hit that car on Franklin Street, or hit that cop, or BOTH?!
I’d have probably been the front page story in the MetroWest Daily News!

2 comments:

Debby Seler said...

oh my goodness not another brake story!!!!!
i am not laughing at your mishap I am rejoicing..i am laughing at how you will tell the story....you are great Bob!! wait till Ry and Amy tell this one!

clotrip said...

You were blessed and I am pleased you are ok. Sounds like extreme driving in downtown Framingham. And thanks for the reminder to renew my AAA.