CAR WRECK AT THE CEMETARY

We barely got out of the cemetery alive!

There is a huge, wonderfully patriotic experience in our town of Broken Arrow, OK this weekend.  The Floral Haven Cemetery COMES TO LIFE!  There are folks  that work for days  during this time every year to make Memorial Day Weekend memorable. Thousands of huge American flags are on display, each one with dog tags attached, identifying
a brave soldier that has died. It is a sight to behold.  The soldiers names are read, songs are sung, traditional ceremonies are repeated and very much alive military personnel are usually marching in formation.  It is a very impressive celebration giving honor to those who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom.

It is a good thing to stop, remember and be thankful, at least ONCE a year!

Today we made our annual drive through that magnificent sight of flags gently unfurled by the Oklahoma breeze.  Hundreds of folks were scattered over those acres placing wreaths on family members graves, taking pictures, reading headstones, and remembering.  A changing of the guard ceremony was respectfully attended.  The pride in the air was almost visible. 

After many ooh's and ahh's we were beginning to make our way through those narrow roads to the exit.

That's when it happened, THE CAR WRECK INSIDE THE CEMETERY!

An elderly woman  was in her car also preparing to leave, so Honeybuns  courteously stopped our car there in the middle of the road to give her room to back out of her parking space.

Evidently  she mistakenly missed the brake to slowly reverse and hit the ACCELERATOR instead!  That car whipped around at lighting speed, did a complete 180, side swiped the car next to her and she came to a stop HARD against a tree!  We were inches from being involved in this unbelievable scene.  It happened right before our eyes!

We were speechless.   A couple of men, women and one policeman appeared from nowhere within seconds.  The white-haired grandmother sat in her car gripping the steering wheel in a complete state of shock, embarrassed beyond imagination! 

Honeybuns jumped out of the car and ran to her.  He and  the others asked if she were hurt, quickly glancing into the vehicle that she'd just demolished to see if there were any injured there to rescue. 

No wounds  were visible except to this grandmothers pride.  I felt so sorry for her as she slid across the car seat to exit her bent up vehicle to get out of that twisted metal. She'd just experienced her worst nightmare.  I'm sure she had no idea HOW all that had so quickly happened. How could she possible explain the encounter to her family members, insurance man and car repair technician?Thousands of dollars would be involved before she would drive again.

Just proves that old adage, "you're safe nowhere."  Who knew that a leisurely drive through the place of the dead would almost put us IN that place of the dead.  We nearly ended up on the wrong side of the dirt.

It's a good day when you get out of the cemetery ALIVE!