Those that have read part one know we begin here sitting in a lonely little apartment trusting something will work out….eventually. That day finally came four months into my six month “window” in the form of a part-time job for a real estate company. It was a fabulous opportunity working with my best friend in an up & coming location of the franchise. There was NO way I would know the full experience saying “Okay” to covering the phones on the weekend would bring. Believe me you will see A LOT of this company & best friend – the impact would be felt for many years to follow. I started on the weekends in March and joined the team full-time by April, there was a lot happening & I jumped in full force. I loved the energy of real estate, the people, the opportunity and the company’s desire to build “millionaires” (a phrase I knew in my dreams & on TV, yet not personally to the best of my knowledge). Suddenly I was around successful millionaires every day?!?!? Just like that – abundance, financial independence and future opportunity conversations were normal getting coffee in the morning. Now, I loved working in the food service industry (waiting tables/bar-tending) yet it’s a very different world than this new place. I mean, let’s be real – doing anything before noon when you close at the restaurant the night before is a miracle!
So….anyways. Here I am, doing my “hourly” thing getting out of my Austin party debt hoping to maybe re-activate my cell phone with my next check and these realtors are BLOWING MY MIND! You see in addition to answering the phones I was gaining responsibility through hard work, positive energy and a genuine interest in wanting to learn all I could about his amazing place that “created millionaires”. Some of my responsibilities included processing payment checks for the realtors and WOOZERS there were some with more digits than I was on track to make that year?!?!? Yeah, I was hooked….not really sure to what just yet but I wanted IN. Then, “it” happened….the car wreck.
First, let’s start with a little reflection on the ole’ Amigo (yes, that is the car). This was the first car I purchased, no co-signer, no nothing the week after I graduated high school. It was an Isuzu Amigo with a soft top. I loved it!! It went to Austin and back with all the scrapes & dings to prove it. Since it was my first car I was “lucky” to lock in that 60 month note payment so by the time I was getting back on my track I was in the last few months of paying this baby in FULL. Gotta love the universe and that sense of humor….
It was May 2003, a Tuesday to be exact, and I just celebrated my one-year anniversary with the real estate company. We were growing, I was in a management position and by all appearances “back on track” from the Austin “lost year”. I enjoyed my job, worked with my best friends and was preparing to move from the lonely after Austin apartment to a 2-bedroom with a friend to start really having some fun. I was heading home late from the office on a major loop highway with average traffic since I worked thru the major rush. The next part I have to admit I don’t remember, which I know is for the best yet here is what I do remember.
Heading north bound on the freeway and out of nowhere my steering wheel goes loose, like nothing just swinging back and forth. I start to veer into the center, off the road into the grass and still nothing, I have no control of the steering wheel and it gets worse. I realize I have no braking ability, both feet on the brake & NOTHING!?!?! By now I’m in the center, remember hitting a “next exit whatever miles ahead” sign head on & everything goes dark…..
I wake up many hours later (it felt like a quick power nap honestly) to my name over a loud intercom, bright Emergency Room lights, and lots of medical commotion. I was wearing a neck brace so looking anywhere other than right into the bright blue hospital lights was not an option. The moment my eyes were open latex wrapped fingers grabbed my contacts out and random instructions were being yelled from all directions.
“Do you know your name?”
“Do you know the day?”
“Can you tell us what happened?”
It was all moving so fast then I heard it, something familiar. My dad’s voice was on my left side, calm, cool & collected (like always) telling me it would all be okay. That apparently was all I needed and back to sleep, unconscious, where ever you go in something like there is exactly where I went.
I would learn in the days to follow my rear axle had snapped causing no control of steering wheel or brakes. I crossed the median into oncoming traffic (freeway traffic over 60 mph – no big deal) and was ejected from the vehicle upon impact with another vehicle that was heading south bound.
Thankfully no one else was injured, like nothing!?!? Now, me on the other hand – I was a MESS! Multiple broken bones, road rash all over my body and quite a journey ahead.
Let’s just say I got the message loud and clear. I lived after being thrown from a vehicle at high speeds, so regardless of beliefs it was my confirmation I am supposed to BE HERE to DO something BIG and HELP a lot of people. I had no clue how or what that meant, I didn’t even know if I would get use of my hands back at this point yet the message was received.
Broken or not life was about to get really brave!!