Soup, Pie, and Wrong Turns
Driving down a creek bed in the middle of the night after a rainstorm is not the definition of safe… or smart. But that’s where I found myself last year. My intentions were good. I was taking soup and homemade pie to a family member who was sick. My GPS was plugged in and its voice was loud and clear. So I listened… to the wrong voice. I ignored the cattle gate on the road. I didn’t see the sign that said, “No through traffic”. I ignored the fact that the road was getting steeper and more narrow. I even ignored the curvy line on the GPS that showed me what was coming.
Instead, I just kept going up the hills and around the curves as the road got steeper, more narrow, and more remote.
Until I finally had no choice but to stop. The road just ended – in a creek bed. There were no houses, businesses, or places to turn around. Fortunately, I had one bar of cell service, so I did what every wife does – I called my husband in a panic. His voice of reason tried to calm me down as he assured me he was on his way. But where was I?
Life 360 showed my location and he jumped in the car to come to my rescue. A few minutes later, way off in the distance on the other side of the creek, I noticed a flashlight bobbing my way. A human! Maybe he could direct me out of this mess while I waited for my husband.
He came as far as he could on his side of the creek and told me he had been listening to me and figured I felt a bit panicky. He told me that all I needed to do to get out of this sticky situation was drive into the creek and go around the bend into the dark. “Don’t worry about it. This is what we drive on every day. It’s not really a creek. It’s just a bit overflooded by the recent rains. When you get around the curves in the creek, look for the light on the hill and follow that light. Just stay to the left and you’ll be ok. “
With that, he turned and was gone. Literally, he left with nothing else to say. “Just stay to the left and you’ll be ok“.
Did I mention that my cell phone was only at one bar and had been coming in and out? Right at that moment, it decided to be out – completely. My GPS was also not responding. So there I was. All alone again. No phone, No GPS and no friendly neighbor to guide me. Or was it a neighbor? Maybe it was an angel God sent to tell me what to do. Because at that point, there was no way to tell my husband how to find me.
So I did the dumbest move ever and drove into the creek and started praying harder than I have ever prayed. I stayed to the left and rounded the bend – and another bend and one more. Then I saw the roads make a Y. The one to the left looked more promising, but the one to the right had the light at the top. I remembered what the neighbor had told me so I didn’t hesitate and moved hard and fast to the right – up the hill, out of the creek and on to safety!
All I could do was yell “I did it! I did it! I did it!” and I didn’t die! Then the phone rang and my husband on the other end asked me if I was safe. I told him in very incoherent terms that I had made it through the creek and I was coming up the hill. I saw a house and then another house and then slowly I emerged back into civilization. I was safe!
What did I do right in this situation? Very little, if I’m being honest. There is nothing smart about following a GPS out into the middle of nowhere in the dark of night when you’re all alone. There was nothing safe about driving into what looked like a full creek in the dark and then following the advice of a stranger that if I stayed to the left, I’d be alright.
But I did learn something very big. I will never ever do this again. In my entire life, I’ve really never done many stupid things. Sure, I cut a gash in our dryer once with a circular saw. Not my finest moment. But honestly, if you know me, you know I’m pretty level headed and not one to get into dangerous sitatuions. But this time just got me.
The last question you may be asking is whether I delivered the homemade soup and apple pie. Yes, of course! I drove straight home and changed drivers so my husband could go back out and deliver the food. And this time we didn’t take any shortcuts.
