In all my years of driving, I have been through a lot of weird, dangerous, funny and hard moments. Among all, I particularly remember what happened once to me and the friend of mine while we were crisscrossing the roads of our beloved country a few years ago.
I believe it is true when they say that the most important lesson for a driver is to reach a state of awareness that while behind the wheel at any given moment something extraordinary stupid could happen.
In my great collection of driving pratfalls, there is one of a special kind. That one is to be remembered, and it has stayed with me up to this day.
We were zigzagging Bosnia, over hills and valleys, we went to see many places of the country. Every day we would have our cardinal directions changed.
One day we were heading toward the city of Zenica. As we were approaching the place, driving the road which I had never driven before - suddenly behind the curve we had entered a tunnel. Inside of the tunnel was dark like the inside of a piano, like the night in the hallway. Like – total dark.
I didn’t have my lights on; at that time it wasn’t the requirement as it is now – to have them on even during the day. Therefore, the same second we had entered the tunnel we had entered complete darkness.
Another second passed by. Furthermore, then another one as well. I think even a few more after that. The seconds in dark could be really long.
We were in the tunnel already for 4 or 5 seconds, me and a friend of mine, the car was moving at the same speed just like before we have entered the kingdom of the utter darkness.
Only after that my friend said in a very calm voice: “What do you think about turning the lights on?”
And then I had realized the darkness, more true – I had realized my not reacting to it. In a state of the sudden overwhelming panic, I have reached for the button to turn the lights on. I have finally pressed it on with my shaking hand.
“O man! What was that?”
It was strange. It took us so long to respond. Not the fact that we had entered the dark tunnel that had shown up out of nowhere was strange. The strange was not the darkness as well.
The strangest of all was both of us not realizing the situation that we have found ourselves suddenly into. It took 4 or 5 very long seconds for my friend to tell me to turn the lights on.
Maybe this has something to do with the very essence of driving – sometimes the humans are unable to react mechanically – they got surprised by the sudden darkness, they got carried away by the situations to which only a programmed machine could respond in a proper way . It is hard to come up with the right answer immediately.
I think that I will be trying to figure out the meaning of that 4 or 5 seconds of darkness as long as I live.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Zigzagging Into Darkness
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6 comments:
wow J.C. that is a crazy story. Pretty dang scary that the lights weren't on in the tunnel.
Hi Tim, yes it is scary when you think about it but I do not think that we were so scared while in that dark. I wouldn't describe that feeling as fear. During that 4 or 5 seconds I think we were somewhere in a space between the reality and darkness. Only later we have figured up what really happened and what was the the true measure of the danger we had been into. The tunnel showed up out of nowhere behind the curve.
What an interesting story! I guess it's so easy to almost become hypnotized while driving that you can forget certain things. It reminds of of certain horror stories where someone doesn't realize where they are until they are already there. I think this describes being mesmerized very well:)
Hi Bobby, exactly, while driving it is easy to get carried away especially while encountering unusual surprises.
You got my heart jumping- good story. I could see where that sticks with you for the rest of your life. Isn't it interesting how given the circumstances a few seconds can seem like an eternity? That's how we know that time is not what it seems.
Hi Michelle an interesting point you have got there. I would agree with you about time. Cheers.
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