Guest author Janice Wheeler: "He stood above me while I lay on the hot tarmac, stating calmly to the paramedics that he thought I’d probably “lose that arm.”
I was thrilled with YOUR word choice, Jan. To be evocative is certainly a compliment beyond ordinary and something that will now be in the forefront of my winding mind. I so appreciate your inputs! Truly do! J
She had worn a seatbelt, no airbag; neither of us were buckled in. Her knees hit the dash, her chin and forehead hit the steering wheel. They had trouble determining what was causing all her pain in the ER, she had surgery and we went to see her, a visit I will never forget. She did not want us there, to have ever come there. Justifiably so. The guilt stays with me. We were told that she would make a full recovery. A scar on her chin similar to what I carry on my forehead, I would imagine. We sent flowers, which seemed, well, weak? But what to do. We couldn't make it right. J
Oh, Janice. I'm so sorry. That sounds awful and so upsetting. I think the guilt would stay with me too, but you know that you meant no harm.
The situation you're describing is something I have constantly catastrophized about. Driving on the "wrong side" of the road in a country where the wrong side is the right side. It's a worst case scenario.
I am not sure there was anything else for you to do. You expressed your regret and your care, and then you respected her wishes when she didn't want you there anymore. In my faith tradition, intention is everything. You are not to blame forever for a terrible accident, even if the person on the receiving end is (justifiably) angry.
Oh, Janice. What a difficult experience. I'm so sorry you went through it, and I totally understand it staying with you (and also your policy of not driving in places where roads are opposite of what you're used to. And like Noha said, of course you meant no harm. I hope that helps your heart.
Thank you again for sharing this meaningful story.
Janice Anne’s story was the tonic I needed this morning. I want to shake that paramedic who said she’d probably lose her arm. But the Tasmanian meteorologist, the kind couple and the local critters? Pure happiness.
Thanks Rona--it was one of those life-changers; writing the tale brought back all the emotions, all the details So glad I could convey them as joy. It was the end result, regardless. THANK YOU. Love your work! J
Isn't it wild, how writing about a specific time and/or place and/or experience truly transports you. For whatever reason, I've found myself writing lately pieces that draw on the early days of my former marriage--nearly three decades ago. And the sense of a specific house or smell being suddenly so less distant is really intriguing to me.
So glad you went back and shared this piece, my friend.
Crazy wonderful tale. Thanks Janice for sharing it and for making it so real for the reader, I have an indelible image of each person and animal you encountered. It unfolded, reel by reel.
I have to thank Holly Starley for giving me the opportunity to relive it and share it after all these years! I can picture it like it was yesterday and if I conveyed it that well, your comment means the world. Thank you Leslie, love the name of your own work! !J
Absolutely loved Janice Anne's making lemonade out of scary and horrifying lemons (!) of a car accident down under. And the unplanned graciousness of being welcomed into the warmth of a Tasmanian meteorologists's caring family. Love your idea of sharing life on other roads w/ us, Holly, just brilliant!
Yes, I give her full credit for allowing me to relive and share such a diverse experience on the other side of the planet. Thank you Holly. Jeanine, your comments are always heartwarming and so appreciated. Always! ~J
Thanks, Jeanine! I know someone else who's had a bit of a traveling life whose story I'd love to feature in this collection were she ever called to share one ... Wink and hint. :)
Yes, Janice did make lemonade of scary lemons. And "unplanned graciousness" is a wonderful phrase.
To sharing all the kindnesses and all the lives on all the various roads we travers--inner and outer!
Well, isn't this the sweetest treat to find you both here?! Janice, what a story! And thank goodness everyone walked away able to tell it in their own way, when the time was right.
To have a meteorologist cum angel appear at just the right time, with just the right resources, and the generosity needed to repair the brokenness in the best possible way was--I know you must believe---some kind of divine providence.
That my baby girl (28!) learned to safely navigate the wrong-side-of-the-road driving she now manages daily was a relief to her anxious mom. It is such a head game!
Of all the animals she's come to enjoy in Australia, the wombat is her favorite. And she now calls me "Mombat." ☺️
Tasmania grows some gooood people. Did you keep in touch with the meteorologist after you left?
Just loved this story, and am smiling at this partnership.
Smiling back at you Mombat! That's fabulous and a due compliment. I am honored that Miss Holly would share my story. Amazing how vivid the entire experience remains, considering what a vast array of emotions transpired...feels like long ago and yesterday.... thank you, Elizabeth.
Elizabeth, I so love the way you say things. "Everyone walked away able to tell it in their own way, when the time was right"--lovely.
And oh my goodness, I can only imagine how nervous you must have been when your daughter first started learning to drive on the "other" side of the road. What a relief she's managed it safely.
Mombat!!! What a wonderful nickname.
Thank you always, for your support and curiosity and joy, my friend!
I am honored to have been invited into this innovative, interesting, respectful space by you, the very talented Holly Starley. May we continue to collaborate as I learn the tricks and trades of the 'Stack; I so appreciate your guidance and willingness to share. THANKS! What fun. ~J
Awwwww! Thank you, Janice. What kind things to say about my work and this space. I'm delighted you find it so and that we've connected and for the prospect of future collaborations! ♥️
This brought tears to my eyes. I was the driver who thought the corner was a four way stop. Nope, just on my corner. The only person who was kind to me was the EMT who gently allowed me to realize that I was not fine, once the adrenaline wore off. God bless the Tasmanian meteorologist and his family, and thanks as always to you for bringing us these mosaic tiles of our shared humanity at its best. ❤️
Moments in time, accidents, mistakes...they stay with us and yet we all forgive each other for them...we should also forgive ourselves, which is sometimes more difficult. Those Tasmanians, many of them, gave me a far greater appreciation for humanity and all that encompasses...still evokes tears here, Elizabeth. So glad you chimed in and I hope you also experienced a full recovery. J
Such a good point, Janice. Self-forgiveness is a tricky but terribly important business--a true necessity for the growth of our own humanity and compassion and kindness.
Thank you for sharing, Elizabeth. I soooo wish that you had had your own meteorologist, an abundance of kindness during such a difficult moment. Maybe this sounds strange, but I believe we can go back to those times and provide a bit of what our younger selves didn't get by realizing how deserving they were of it.
And thank you ever so much for your continued support. I appreciate you very much.
That's a lovely thing to say, Michael, thank you! It was a life changing time down under. Intrigued by that title of yours, I must say...so of course I'm on my way... ~J
Oh yes of course Prue! I knew I was sharing this and pleased for you to read of my travels there as abrupt and chaotic as they were. A more wonderful man could not be imagined, the family too. .... a very special place indeed. Hope to see it again. J
I hope to visit your home at the bottom of the world someday, Prue! Every time I hear stories about it, they're filled with magic and mystery and wonder, and the wonderful kindness in Janice's story seems no exception!
Hi Holly, it’s a rare, eccentric and beautiful little island removed from the woes of the world at large. Every Tasmanian hopes to either stay here forever or move back after experiencing life elsewhere.
A shocking story in both the good and the bad... I have spent half my life (literally not metaphorically) switching from lefthand to righthand sides of the road and car, sometimes with the wheel on the wrong side for the road Im travelling, every time I change I tremble with fear, the adjustment is huge and dangerous. Janice I don't blame you for your vow, I understand wholly your fear especially after such a trauma.
Thank goodness for the angels walking this earth, I am so glad some found you Janice.
Grateful for that comment Troy...it's true...things happen and then we wonder why and then we figure it out, most of the time. What a range of good, bad and astonishing! I'd love to sail around there!
A big majority of the posts I get to read here on Substack are from all over the world. While I know that there's plenty of Australian-based writers, I haven't quite reached them yet. So it was a breath of fresh air to read a story in a place I know of (I've lived in Oz for almost 17 years and counting). I've visited Tassie (as we call it) twice and being an island that you can drive from Launceston to Hobart in 3 hours, you can see all the beauty it has to offer even in a short trip. I would say you were probably in the best place to heal and recover. The air is "different" down there and so is the pace of life, even in their known "cities". For me, being so further south geographically creates a feeling of remoteness - a reprieve from always being around masses of people.
In the first few months since I moved to Oz, I did my best to get used to everything being on the left side of the road. Many times I almost got hit by a car or a bus if it were not for a "hairstrand" distance because I was looking on the "wrong" side for cars before crossing the street.
I'm not sure when you had this experience but in major roadways, I now see plenty of signs that indicate "Drive on Left in Australia" or those in bold red that say "Wrong Way, Go Back". Hopefully to prevent horrible accidents such as yours from recurring. Though sometimes they're not where you'd hope they would be.
I can remember our travel agent saying " we'll just pop on over to Tassie...." so we went on her recommendation and I'd love to return. Check out @pruebatten Knots in the String she writes from the shore down there and good earthy stuff. I love that you told me YOUR story! Thank you very much and enjoy your world. Hope to see more of it !
Thank you, Janice, for contributing such a vibrant story to this collection--one that adds to my list of places I'd love to see someday!
An amazing story and a magical place.
Agreed! Have you been to Tasmania? Did this story make you want to visit?
I haven't, but the writing was so evocative -- and the image too.
I was thrilled with YOUR word choice, Jan. To be evocative is certainly a compliment beyond ordinary and something that will now be in the forefront of my winding mind. I so appreciate your inputs! Truly do! J
Thank you -- to be taken somewhere unfamilar is such a gift :)
This piece! Wow. My heart was in my throat the whole time. I just have to ask one question: what happened to the driver in the other car?
I wondered too.
She had worn a seatbelt, no airbag; neither of us were buckled in. Her knees hit the dash, her chin and forehead hit the steering wheel. They had trouble determining what was causing all her pain in the ER, she had surgery and we went to see her, a visit I will never forget. She did not want us there, to have ever come there. Justifiably so. The guilt stays with me. We were told that she would make a full recovery. A scar on her chin similar to what I carry on my forehead, I would imagine. We sent flowers, which seemed, well, weak? But what to do. We couldn't make it right. J
Oh, Janice. I'm so sorry. That sounds awful and so upsetting. I think the guilt would stay with me too, but you know that you meant no harm.
The situation you're describing is something I have constantly catastrophized about. Driving on the "wrong side" of the road in a country where the wrong side is the right side. It's a worst case scenario.
I am not sure there was anything else for you to do. You expressed your regret and your care, and then you respected her wishes when she didn't want you there anymore. In my faith tradition, intention is everything. You are not to blame forever for a terrible accident, even if the person on the receiving end is (justifiably) angry.
So well said, Noha. 💕
Oh, Janice. What a difficult experience. I'm so sorry you went through it, and I totally understand it staying with you (and also your policy of not driving in places where roads are opposite of what you're used to. And like Noha said, of course you meant no harm. I hope that helps your heart.
Thank you again for sharing this meaningful story.
Right?! I felt so much for all involved in this collision.
Thank you, Noha, for reading and commenting!
Janice Anne’s story was the tonic I needed this morning. I want to shake that paramedic who said she’d probably lose her arm. But the Tasmanian meteorologist, the kind couple and the local critters? Pure happiness.
Thanks Rona--it was one of those life-changers; writing the tale brought back all the emotions, all the details So glad I could convey them as joy. It was the end result, regardless. THANK YOU. Love your work! J
Isn't it wild, how writing about a specific time and/or place and/or experience truly transports you. For whatever reason, I've found myself writing lately pieces that draw on the early days of my former marriage--nearly three decades ago. And the sense of a specific house or smell being suddenly so less distant is really intriguing to me.
So glad you went back and shared this piece, my friend.
Right?! I found myself longing to visit the Tasmanian meteorologist's garden, to drink tea with his family, and meet the animals and places he shared.
So glad to hear you enjoyed it. That's exactly why I collect these stories--as a tonic we all very much need. So I'm grateful to you for saying this.
Crazy wonderful tale. Thanks Janice for sharing it and for making it so real for the reader, I have an indelible image of each person and animal you encountered. It unfolded, reel by reel.
I have to thank Holly Starley for giving me the opportunity to relive it and share it after all these years! I can picture it like it was yesterday and if I conveyed it that well, your comment means the world. Thank you Leslie, love the name of your own work! !J
Delighted to have done so.
And I agree, Leslie's Listen First in a Curious World is a wonderful title.
Right?! Me too! I reaaaaally want to pet that soft underbelly and catch a glimpse of those gleaming fangs and drink tea with the meteorologist!
Absolutely loved Janice Anne's making lemonade out of scary and horrifying lemons (!) of a car accident down under. And the unplanned graciousness of being welcomed into the warmth of a Tasmanian meteorologists's caring family. Love your idea of sharing life on other roads w/ us, Holly, just brilliant!
Yes, I give her full credit for allowing me to relive and share such a diverse experience on the other side of the planet. Thank you Holly. Jeanine, your comments are always heartwarming and so appreciated. Always! ~J
A great collaboration--from road trip to road trip!!
💕
Thanks, Jeanine! I know someone else who's had a bit of a traveling life whose story I'd love to feature in this collection were she ever called to share one ... Wink and hint. :)
Yes, Janice did make lemonade of scary lemons. And "unplanned graciousness" is a wonderful phrase.
To sharing all the kindnesses and all the lives on all the various roads we travers--inner and outer!
Well, isn't this the sweetest treat to find you both here?! Janice, what a story! And thank goodness everyone walked away able to tell it in their own way, when the time was right.
To have a meteorologist cum angel appear at just the right time, with just the right resources, and the generosity needed to repair the brokenness in the best possible way was--I know you must believe---some kind of divine providence.
That my baby girl (28!) learned to safely navigate the wrong-side-of-the-road driving she now manages daily was a relief to her anxious mom. It is such a head game!
Of all the animals she's come to enjoy in Australia, the wombat is her favorite. And she now calls me "Mombat." ☺️
Tasmania grows some gooood people. Did you keep in touch with the meteorologist after you left?
Just loved this story, and am smiling at this partnership.
Smiling back at you Mombat! That's fabulous and a due compliment. I am honored that Miss Holly would share my story. Amazing how vivid the entire experience remains, considering what a vast array of emotions transpired...feels like long ago and yesterday.... thank you, Elizabeth.
Like long ago and yesterday! Exactly. ♥️
Elizabeth, I so love the way you say things. "Everyone walked away able to tell it in their own way, when the time was right"--lovely.
And oh my goodness, I can only imagine how nervous you must have been when your daughter first started learning to drive on the "other" side of the road. What a relief she's managed it safely.
Mombat!!! What a wonderful nickname.
Thank you always, for your support and curiosity and joy, my friend!
I am honored to have been invited into this innovative, interesting, respectful space by you, the very talented Holly Starley. May we continue to collaborate as I learn the tricks and trades of the 'Stack; I so appreciate your guidance and willingness to share. THANKS! What fun. ~J
Awwwww! Thank you, Janice. What kind things to say about my work and this space. I'm delighted you find it so and that we've connected and for the prospect of future collaborations! ♥️
This brought tears to my eyes. I was the driver who thought the corner was a four way stop. Nope, just on my corner. The only person who was kind to me was the EMT who gently allowed me to realize that I was not fine, once the adrenaline wore off. God bless the Tasmanian meteorologist and his family, and thanks as always to you for bringing us these mosaic tiles of our shared humanity at its best. ❤️
Moments in time, accidents, mistakes...they stay with us and yet we all forgive each other for them...we should also forgive ourselves, which is sometimes more difficult. Those Tasmanians, many of them, gave me a far greater appreciation for humanity and all that encompasses...still evokes tears here, Elizabeth. So glad you chimed in and I hope you also experienced a full recovery. J
Such a good point, Janice. Self-forgiveness is a tricky but terribly important business--a true necessity for the growth of our own humanity and compassion and kindness.
Thank you for sharing, Elizabeth. I soooo wish that you had had your own meteorologist, an abundance of kindness during such a difficult moment. Maybe this sounds strange, but I believe we can go back to those times and provide a bit of what our younger selves didn't get by realizing how deserving they were of it.
And thank you ever so much for your continued support. I appreciate you very much.
That’s just what my new therapist tells me, Holly. Trying to figure out how to do it. By writing, probably, in a new mode. 😊
♥️
Wow! What an intense and interesting story. This was written so well. And thank heavens for that metrologist! :)
That's a lovely thing to say, Michael, thank you! It was a life changing time down under. Intrigued by that title of yours, I must say...so of course I'm on my way... ~J
It sounded like a life changing time!
Ohh how cool, I look forward to seeing you over my way.
Thanks Janice :)
Right?! I of course thought of you as soon as I read this story, Michael--what with the appearance of the two (what'd we go with?) platypi.
Yes thank heavens for the meteorologist. ;)
And for you, my friend.
Hahaha yes, of course, I have become the platypus guy. Honoured to that connection fires in your brain, Holly. :)
And yes, to me, platypi, just seems right. :)
An amazing story, beautifully told. Thank you.
Agreed, Jeffrey! Thank you for reading. :)
Ah Janice. That’s my island home! A very special place on the bottom of the world. Such an incredible story and what a lovely weatherman!
Oh yes of course Prue! I knew I was sharing this and pleased for you to read of my travels there as abrupt and chaotic as they were. A more wonderful man could not be imagined, the family too. .... a very special place indeed. Hope to see it again. J
I hope to visit your home at the bottom of the world someday, Prue! Every time I hear stories about it, they're filled with magic and mystery and wonder, and the wonderful kindness in Janice's story seems no exception!
Hi Holly, it’s a rare, eccentric and beautiful little island removed from the woes of the world at large. Every Tasmanian hopes to either stay here forever or move back after experiencing life elsewhere.
Thank you for sharing this fabulous story!!
A shocking story in both the good and the bad... I have spent half my life (literally not metaphorically) switching from lefthand to righthand sides of the road and car, sometimes with the wheel on the wrong side for the road Im travelling, every time I change I tremble with fear, the adjustment is huge and dangerous. Janice I don't blame you for your vow, I understand wholly your fear especially after such a trauma.
Thank goodness for the angels walking this earth, I am so glad some found you Janice.
Thanks for the empathy Susie...it was a incredible range of emotions during that time....he was an angel indeed and I appreciate you very much!
Great story, and all those kindnesses and encounters with creatures would never have happened with the unexpected misfortune.
Grateful for that comment Troy...it's true...things happen and then we wonder why and then we figure it out, most of the time. What a range of good, bad and astonishing! I'd love to sail around there!
A big majority of the posts I get to read here on Substack are from all over the world. While I know that there's plenty of Australian-based writers, I haven't quite reached them yet. So it was a breath of fresh air to read a story in a place I know of (I've lived in Oz for almost 17 years and counting). I've visited Tassie (as we call it) twice and being an island that you can drive from Launceston to Hobart in 3 hours, you can see all the beauty it has to offer even in a short trip. I would say you were probably in the best place to heal and recover. The air is "different" down there and so is the pace of life, even in their known "cities". For me, being so further south geographically creates a feeling of remoteness - a reprieve from always being around masses of people.
In the first few months since I moved to Oz, I did my best to get used to everything being on the left side of the road. Many times I almost got hit by a car or a bus if it were not for a "hairstrand" distance because I was looking on the "wrong" side for cars before crossing the street.
I'm not sure when you had this experience but in major roadways, I now see plenty of signs that indicate "Drive on Left in Australia" or those in bold red that say "Wrong Way, Go Back". Hopefully to prevent horrible accidents such as yours from recurring. Though sometimes they're not where you'd hope they would be.
I can remember our travel agent saying " we'll just pop on over to Tassie...." so we went on her recommendation and I'd love to return. Check out @pruebatten Knots in the String she writes from the shore down there and good earthy stuff. I love that you told me YOUR story! Thank you very much and enjoy your world. Hope to see more of it !
Thank you! Will check her out!