Accidents and consequences

Who would have thought that an accident would be a source of inspiration?

So there I was driving home feeling super confident as usual, after a fun catching up session with my girlfriend. It was one of those days that traffic is exceptionally light and there’s not too much drama on the road. It was quite easy to get lost in my thoughts reminiscing on nice moments and great friends I am blessed to have in my life. Now I know the road is not the place to daydream, but we all have those moments, right?

Anyway, I got to this junction where all of a sudden there was so much traffic and very little order. Naturally, my mind snapped back to attention and I started driving like the good law-abiding citizen I try to be. After skillfully (read bull fighting my way through – Nairobi drivers are the worst when it comes to giving way!) weaving my way through traffic to my lane, I was back to my nice happy thoughts, grateful that the worst was over. Then my phone rang.

You know how they tell us that mobile phones are terrible distractions on the road? Its true. Please ignore your phone when you are driving, don’t learn the hard way like me. But I digress. Back to my phone ringing. I took my eyes of the road for a moment (really it was a moment) to find my phone, just to hear a sickening thud. Just like that, in a split second, I had left my mark on the back of another person’s car.

Lucky for me, it was not a major collision and we were able to agree on a settlement. As I left there, with a heavy heart and a considerably lighter wallet, it got me thinking. Sometimes  we make one seemingly minor bad decision with far-reaching negative consequences that keep us stuck in that moment. It’s so easy to get lost in the ‘what if’s’ and ‘I wish’. We all make mistakes but that should never be a reason to give up. I tend to think that life is like a marathon, often not won by the fastest sprinter, but by the one who has the most endurance and stamina. Our mistakes help to redefine where we do not want to go again, making our future path clearer. So l choose today to learn from my mistakes. I refuse to let regret hinder my progress. Just like our quirks define us, I will let the lessons from my mistakes refine me and make me a better person. Will you do the same?