I looked ahead, gripping my wheel. My friends were in the backseat behind me, their laughs roaring and the music blaring. I looked at the GPS, it read “2 minutes from the destination.”

Ever since I received my license, I’ve been on the road. Any chance I get, I’m driving. The road is my safe place. 

When I left the house, my mom always told me, “please be careful out there.” I always thought she was just overprotective, caring for no good reason. 

I would repeat the same sentence like a broken record player looping over and over: “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

I was ignorant.

I was arrogant.

I was stupid.

I’d be careless with my actions, thinking there wouldn’t be any consequences. Something serious would never happen to me, right? 

Living in a small town filled my head with the notion that danger was out of sight. I was guarded by the suburbs, never realizing what kind of hazards could be right outside my hometown.

However, this thought process was completely turned around when I drove with some of my friends in Waukesha one night. We were two minutes away from the bowling alley when, at a four-way intersection, I was T-boned by a man in the oncoming lane. Normally, I’d have a hundred thoughts rushing through my mind, but as soon as the car hit, my consciousness was ripped from my body. 

My car’s back bumper hung by a thread, and access to the back passenger door and the gas cap were completely cut off. Thankfully, nobody was harmed, but when I glanced at my car's damage, I knew I had to call the police.

As soon as I got off the phone with the police, my stomach sank, knowing I’d have to break the news to someone much worse—my mom, the one who had always warned me about this exact situation. I still remember the worry in her voice. The only thought coursing through my mind was that I had let down the woman I love the most in this world. 

I may not have gotten hurt that day, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be next time. I just wonder how it could’ve been different had I been more aware. 

My mother was always worried for my safety, and I never realized why. But, now I do. It’s not just me on the road; there are others that can be careless too. This accident was a challenge that made me reflect on my actions. 

Before the crash, I was lazy. I didn’t put in the effort like I should have, but the crash taught me to scan my surroundings more, taught me that shock is a very real thing, and most importantly, taught me that life is not something I should take for granted.

 I had doubts about college before, yet ever since the crash, those doubts have gone away. The crash will continue to reflect itself in my life as I transition into college whether it be getting necessary assignments done, or staying safe on the road.

I am no longer ignorant.

I am no longer arrogant.

I am no longer stupid.

I have changed.