Routinely Unexpected

Routines. Day in and day out, small or large things. You tend to do them and take them for granted. Wake up. Wash-up; brush your teeth. Say prayers. Have some coffee, read a little. I like my routines. They bring an aspect of stability, at least seemingly, to everyday life.

The unexpected. It throws a monkey wrench in the routines. Sometimes it’s pleasant, like a scenic detour. Sometimes not, turning things topsy-turvy. At times it’s small and manageable, and at times it’s a bit more than bargained for. Usually, there’s very little perceived control over the unexpected. Somehow, both the routines and the unexpected weave together in the flow of this life.

On December 18^th of this past year, I was unexpectedly in a car accident. It came while in the midst of a routine. I was just running out to get my wife from work. Routine. The drive is usually under ten minutes. Here in my neck of the woods in Colorado, the winter has been very warm. That day was fairly warm, sweatshirt weather at best. The time rolled around to run out “really quick” and get my wife. It’s warm out, so I just slipped on my sandals. No socks! After all, it’s a short drive. Routine. I do it a few times a week. Same route. There and back again in under twenty minutes. Then it’s tea time.

I leave the house. Turn left. Down the road. Four-way stop. Yup. Drive a little more, light just ahead. From a distance, it’s red. I start slowing down. It turns green while I’m still approaching. Solid green, give a little gas, and let’s go. Entering the intersection, on the left side of my peripheral vision, it clicks that the oncoming car is not stopping. Straight on through the red light. Bang! Boom!

The unexpected. It’s interesting how, in certain circumstances, time moves in a very different manner. The few seconds before the impact, in which my brain registered the inbound vehicle, seemed to hang in a suspended state. Slow motion. On impact, everything suddenly sped up to an accelerated rate with much shaking and movement. Is it simply perception, or is there an elasticity to time in certain moments? Maybe it is a combination of both.

I didn’t have the fanciest car. It was a 2012 Jeep Patriot. I’d had a great experience with it. No major problems. Just over 100k miles. It was a budget car for a budget priest lifestyle. As a side, it was surprisingly good on some 4x4 roads. And it got me through several bad snowstorms.

In May of 2025, my wife and I were returning from a little getaway in the mountains. Our wedding anniversary is in late April. Unsurprisingly, for Colorado, it began to snow the day we had to drive back. And it snowed and snowed. I put that little Jeep in four-wheel drive, and it plodded along like a tank. Some other cars were not so fortunate. So, it did well.

Originally, I bought it to use for side work. My flush priest salary has to be supplemented sometimes with side work. Back before seminary, I did woodworking, construction, and remodeling. Here and there, I pick up side jobs in those spheres. The little Jeep was the work vehicle. Pack the tools in and off I go.

Not anymore. After time slowed and then sped up, my Jeep was done. The impact was on the front driver’s side tire sector. A little more into the intersection, and it would have been on my driver’s door. Thank you, guardian angel. I know I made a bit of extra work for you that day.

Even the insurance company issued the solemn decree of finality for my Jeep. “Totaled.” The way it was bleeding fluid in the intersection, I was not surprised when the final proclamation of termination was made. Fair well, faithful machine.

Thankfully, the other driver and I were relatively fine. In the following days (and weeks) my neck and back did ache quite a bit. Mild whiplash. Currently, I’m still healing up from it. It’s fascinating how the jumbling from the impact will affect your body.

The other driver was a kind man. We got to spend an hour or so chatting while we waited for the police to arrive. Oddly enough, within the few minutes that our accident occurred, four other car accidents happened. All within a mile of each other. Was something in the air? I don’t know. Since neither of us was calling for an ambulance for medical attention, priority was given to the other accidents. An ambulance was dispatched to provide emergency lights as we waited. My car was immobilized in the intersection.

The EMTs were friendly folks. After asking if we were okay, one began to chuckle a little and said, “Man, you guys could be brothers.” Then it dawned on both of us: white males, mid to late 40s. I was in a flannel shirt; he was in a flannel shirt; I had dark gray pants on, and he had a similar color. And don’t forget the Peaky. But I can’t help it if the guy who hit my car has great style. I had a graying beard; he had a graying beard. But mine was longer and used to be red. Of course, he had shoes on, and I only had sandals. The EMT asked me, “You do realize it’s not summer?” Yeah. Routine got me. Nonetheless, I enjoyed my encounter with this man, as unexpected as it was.

Our talkative EMT noted, “You guys are the friendliest accident I’ve seen in a long time. Most people are cursing each other out and threatening to sue.” I think the accident was just as unexpected for the fellow who hit me as it was for me. He was running one last errand in Pueblo before embarking on his drive home. He lived in a small town a bit away from Pueblo. An accident is not a pleasant way to end the day.

Eventually, the police and the tow truck arrived. Procedures were followed, and we were dismissed. Well, that day went in an unexpectedly different direction.

On the 20^th of December, a dear older parishioner, 96 years old, unexpectedly passed away. My wife got fairly ill. Nativity was approaching. Substantial time on the phone with insurance companies. Things can tumble in ways similar but different from a car crash.

The minutes tumbled by, and I wanted to catch a few for writing. It didn’t happen. Now, as things aren’t tumbling quite as fast, I managed to catch a few moments to write this. I’m on the mend but still feel the pulled muscles from the car crash. Thank you to everyone who has followed my writings. I appreciated it. The unexpected set my routines a little off course. By God’s grace, I hope to get them back on track a little more.