Struck Twice By Surprise

Life experiences can be very interesting and full of many unpredictable surprises, some of which one can relate to, others that are totally incomprehensible. You never know what might happen the minute you walk out your front door.


''Do not walk in the streets, stay on the sidewalk.''


These are familiar words that we often heard our parents or guardians say to us during our childhood years. We were taught to look in both directions before crossing the streets to avoid being struck by a vehicle.


I adhered to those rules, and yet I was struck by a car not once, but twice.


In 1962 at age 15, I was struck by a car and sustained serious injuries in this accident. In 2003 at age 56, history repeated itself and the physical and emotional damage was revived. Both occurred while I was standing on the sidewalk.


While the first incident was an accident, the second incident was not. It had racial overtones that suggested a hate crime.


Yes, I was STRUCK TWICE BY SURPRISE..