THE NARRATIVE ARC
The School Trip Car Accident That Changed My Perspective on Life
A week-long trip the summer after 6th grade had an unexpected impact on how I view the world.
Content warning: This piece describes a car accident I was in with some details about injuries. However, everybody survived.
An unusual sensation woke me from a nap. My limbs were flailing, glass was shattering, and people were screaming. Before I could fully understand what was happening, I was knocked unconscious.
Six days previously, I had set off with 39 other 6th-graders, two teachers, and several college-student chauffeurs for a summertime week-long adventure in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.
I wish I could remember more of the good parts. I know there was camping and backpacking and whitewater rafting, but nearly all of that trip was erased from my memories and replaced with something horrific.
The next time I awoke, I was tangled in my seat belt and I saw that the van had come to rest on its side. I managed to unbuckle myself, stand up, and get my bearings, and that’s when I saw what must have been a blood-soaked sweatshirt next to the head of my unconscious teacher.
