Numero Uno's where I rank you,
Lord Knows that I'm thankful...

Boom! So a bruh got a little shook up. Can't recall ever having that feeling, man.
That feeling that makes you reflect on the ish that you've done or the ish that has transpired in your life.

It is said that right before you cross over to the next plain you see your life flash before you in a split secind. That's a heckuva rewind/fast-forward mechanism, isn't it?i guess as this life is about to end, a few secs can seem an eternity.

Well, I know one thing is for sure. It'll mos def. make you appreciate life, eh? Especially as it is not far from the end. So, i ramble.

I just had a close call. The closest call. That I can recall. in recent, or my entire history. Had close calls. Was in a robbery when I was about 8 or 9. Gun in my face and the whole nine. In the bodega around the way, up in the Vernonville. I was too young to really get what had just occurred. And after the fact, it made for a cool story. "Yoooo, we were in the bodega on a Saturday night 'cause Mom wanted some Winston's (or Parliament in the boxes - one of those...Ooooh, or maybe VANTAGE - I STILL remember that bullseye logo - Hahahaha) and I wanted some cheez doodles, so I'm looking for my doodles and then I turn around and Leigh (my brother) is on the floor and I say 'oooh, you better get off the floor, 'cause you gonna dirty your jacket and moms is gonna be..." CLICKA

I look up and there's a gun (in retrospect, prolly a .38, I think) dead center on my face. My brother yells at me to drop down and I drop with the quickness. The robbers got some money and bounced and then we got outta there. I can't recall if we wound up getting the cigs or my puffs, but I do remember thinking that would'a made Mom mad if I got shot over my cheez doodles. LOL

So, fast forward a few decades and i'm loading the youngest in the car so I open the passenger side door and let them in, and round the car so that I can buckle the youngest in. I ALWAYS BUCKLE from that side, and I'm fine because I'm not double parked. I'm parked in a spot on the street,so I'm good. Traffic always is thick over there, but I'm good. My body is halfway inside of the car: torso being inside, my limbs standing outside, but leaning on the car.

Don't know why, but for some reason, i couldn't reach the buckle adjacent to the car seat, so I fell slightly and something made me straighten my legs out(side of the car) to balance myself. I was getting annoyed with my current predicament and next thing I know I was being silly and curled my legs upwards when...BAM!!!

FUT THE WUCK!!! (dyslexic cursing, for the uninformed)

I check to make sure the putty's are okay, and they are. WHY WAS SOMEONE DRIVING SO QUICKLY AND ERRATICALLY???

I then lean back and slide out of the car knowing that something hath just happened. I'm pissed because I just spent money and prepped the car for the winter and they even added in a free car wash, so I was feeling good about the car. I look out and see a parking mirror on the ground. Other fragments from some other car are on the ground.

I glance up the street and a Toyota Cressida has pulled over.Then, I peer down and see it.The door. My door. DAMMITALL!!! It's pretty banged up. The door is dented and bend semi-upwards. I attempt to close it and nada. It won't close. SH!T! U GOTTA BE KIDDING ME, MAN! I just serviced the car and now this!?! My health is the last thing on my mind. I'M PISSED!

I hurry up to the Cressida and notate the license plate in my phone. As I walk up next to the car, a young lady rolls down the window shaking and apologizing. I almost feel bad for her, but I'm too vexed. Doesn't she know that she almost F'd me up. She continues apologizing and I'm searching for something to say. Something fitting. Something to teach her a lesson. All I could muster was "was it worth it?"

Yeahhhhh...that got her right where I wanted her, dummy. You told her a thing or two. What a jackass! No, not her. ME. I couldn't see myself going off on someone that almost took me out. She apologized for her heavy foot and her terrible depth of perception. And on top of that, as we get to talking, she says "aren't you an actor...or comedian?"

WOWWWW!!!

Now I really can't be a d!ck to her. I never really get into any level of celebrity, when someone recognizes your work. DAMN! Although, it's not like I was gonna go off on her, she ensured me being friendly to her.

And even funnier than that, she tells me that she's a college student and was running late for a test...that she hadn't studied for. Well, at least someone benefited from this. And when I asked what she wanted to be when she grow up,and without hesitation, she says "A comedian". Amazing.

Maybe it was destiny that she almost killed me. T'was meant for us to meet.

Anyway, as we waited for the police, we spoke, but my mind wandered. And suddenly, the reality of what had just transpired hit me. I could'a wound up dead, man. And that ish made me a little NERVOUS. GOT KINDA SHOOK. If I had gotten dead, that would'a sucked. Would'a ruined my Thanksgiving. Actually, my entire holiday season would've been SHOT!

Glad it wasn't ended. Glad i didn't die. I said a long prayer and thanked God that I wound up leaning in and bending my lower half in such a way that when her car impacted, I wasn't sandwiched between hers and my vehicle.

I don't know man...I'm just hella-gratefuLL and thankfuLL. It made me realize how feeble and vulnerable our bodies are and how quickly it can all just change. It's given me greater perspective on how we take things for granted and don't appreciate the little beauty's in life and how petty we all can be. Makes you wanna

My life could've been a wrap and that's some serious ish. The car is F'd up...but I was able to get the door closed. Hell. Who cares??? if I needed to use duct tape to keep the door closed, I'd rather do that than have a nice, shiny new casket. I'm alive to close the door and that's a fothermuckin' BEAUTIFULL THING.

To any and everyone that has supported me or held me down or been in my corner or been a friend or acquaintance or anyone else that simply happens across this blog, I wish you ALL many blessings and much love as well as a SAFE and wonderfuLLfilled holiday season.

And the craziest part is I keep thinking that that probably would'a made Mom mad if I got deaded in a fatal car accident...WHILST PARKED!

~dust