A Winter's Tale (Sunday Scribbling prompt)

I am not an overall big fan of winter. Not like I was when I was a kid. I liked winters as a kid because, there were some guaranteed days off from school, there was snowforts to be built, there was sledding, snow angels and ofcourse snowball fights. As I got older there was slow times getting to work, there was working short staffed, there is still sledding, snowball fights, snow angels, snow forts, snow people to be made. There is the first few awesome storms of the season which offer the calm when traffic comes to a halt, and you can see it glisten under the streetlights, or just how it hangs to the bows of the trees so pretty. Then there is morning when you have to shovel in order to get out. Its cold, its icey, its heavy, or its blowing. Hate it.

As a kid I really enjoyed it. Now I really don't except for the first couple.

My worst ever experience was in the winter of 1985. I was out sledding with my nieces we were using the saucer type of sleds. My father had just said about half hour before we went to the hill those saucers are way too fast, and slippery and someone is going to get hurt. Well we all went regardless of what was said.

Well good ole aunt Angie took her position on the sled was heading down the hill. I realized that I was really flying and something needed to happen fast, or something bad was going to happen. While thinking this I shifted my body which put me in a spin thankfully, for what was about to happen continues to be a terrible dream for me still to this day. I wake up screaming still. Thank god it turned me so that my back was facing the building which was apartments, I slammed into the brick building at an incredible rate of speed. I was knocked unconscious for a few minutes. I came through when I could feel ice cold under my butt it was the snow ofcourse, I could hear people around me saying quick go get grandpa aunt angie is dead and someone crying, I could feel someone touch my face. I sat up and then stood unable to breathe. The wind had been knocked out of me and I punched the person next to me which happened to be my niece as I ran for help and still not breathing go figure. I made it to a friend of the families house, they opened the door and said Aunt Angie oh my god that was you that hit the building oh my god.

They asked if they could call an ambulance I shook my head no. I walked up a hill and my father was already waiting for me. Said, "see I told you someone was going to get hurt." I must of looked awful cause my mothers coloring went from red cheeks to completely white. She started to get all nervous and teary eyed she said, "Jim we need to get her to the hospital now." I said no and asked if I could soak in a warm bath. I did and it did not subside the pain that I was feeling in my back. On our way home which was a 90 mile drive I must have cried some in my sleep in the car, cause my dad yelled,"do you want me to stop at the hospital?" I shook my head no. My mom was clearly upset and worried.

I still sled to this day but really won't do any real steep hills, and winter is certainly not my fave season. You live and you learn and that was a lesson learned. Oh yes I should have gone to the hospital oh well.