Time For A Soap Box

[[THANATOS].AnGeL]

This is simply a “Public Service Agreement” do with this as you wish, lock it, delete it, move it, sticky it, Quite frankly I don’t give a damn… but it is something I say, to just about everyone when this happens, as it brings back a lot of bad memories… This isn't an attempt to get people to talk about it, if they choose to, that is a choice they make, this isn't an attempt to get people to feel negatively if they have done something along these lines... this is simply an experience I have had, and I tell it once every few years in an attempt to keep people from making the choice that they could end up regretting

I know this is not extremely common knowledge, but every few years, usually about this exact time... This time of the year every few years, I have to go to a parole review board, and speak... in an attempt to keep someone in prison, This man is has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for 2nd Degree Man Slaughter, Great Bodily Harm, and Aggravated DUI...

Now the back story…
It was 17 July 1996, the night before my 15th Birthday… My boyfriend and I were out enjoying an evening of “Teenage Fun” … it was about 2300 and we were on our way back to my house to drop me off… about 10 miles from my house on a state highway, a man driving on a country dirt road that was a cross road at what was estimated at around 75 MPH… He hit the driver side of the truck... I am not sure what exactly happened after that, I spent the next 9 days in the ICU comatose when I woke up; my life was completely different… I was unable to clearly communicate with people due to injuries received, I also sustained a severe head trauma which caused a subdural hematoma which in the time that it took them to extract me from the vehicle and get me air lifted to the nearest hospital, diagnosed, and treated for that, I had sustained a mild stroke from the combination of the swelling and additional pressure from the hematoma… It took me a long time to recover the affects of that injury… At this time all that seemed to have been affected by the event was the development of what is called Nominal Aphasia… What that is, is a trouble recalling names, words, and things like that… The other major life change that happened came about 6-7 months after that when I was diagnosed with Early Onset, Type 1 Bipolar Disorder, however the signs of it started within weeks of the incident… that was the worst hit of all of them… The Aphasia in that time I had learned to start overcoming the problems, but the Bipolar Disorder, there is no way to retain yourself, no way to cure… I have had to learn to speak all over again, and even when I do, many people still have trouble understanding everything I say.

My boyfriend was even less fortunate than I was, he didn’t survive the air lift to the hospital.

I have no idea if your life has been affected by a drunk driving, either being the one hurt, having close friends/family hurt/killed, the one who made the mistake and either hurt or killed someone else, the one who made the mistake and simply was arrested for a DUI, or have made the mistake and simply have been fortunate enough to have never had anything negative happen to you… hopefully you fall in to none of the above categories and for that I applaud you… and hope that you make the decisions to stay in that area of the experience… those of any that have made the choice I hope you make the decisions that keep you out of those experiences ever again, and those that have been affected by the choice of another who made the choice to drive under the influence I hope you never again have to go thru that experience again…

I will not get off of my soapbox with the request that if you go out drinking please make plans ahead of time that will keep you out of the driver’s seat of a vehicle…

[[THANATOS].Zer0-^GT]

Thats rough.

Never ever do I drink and drive. My brother was home took a bottle of vodka, took it all and drove to the railway, where he jumped infront of a train. He luckely did not hit any cars on the way there, cause that would not only make him feel bad for his entire life... but us aswell. Shamefully he isnt here anymore. But everytime I see a DUI I just think how stupid people can be.

[[THANATOS].-Nitro-]

Angel...you have had a rough ride and I empathize with you
I also agree with you that driving under the influence is something that has known to ruin lives as well as families
I have a friend who lost her complete family in one accident because the person who hit their car was drunk. Her father, mother and brother...all dead...she was the only one left alive and even now when i see her (shes happily married with kids now)...i can still see the sadness in her eyes
and i always remind myself that you only appreciate someone after they are gone...if i can have a sticker made saying 'no one comes back from the dead' and have it stuck on the steering wheel of every vehicle in the world..i would do it...u know
anyway...i am glad ur on the soap box and more power to ya

and zero....my friend...there's no shame in what your brother did...because it wasn't you who did it....i mean no offense at all

[[THANATOS].Sneye.GT]

Yeah, I've lost a few good people because of drunk driving, some were lucky enough to survive, most weren't. Very sorry to hear about your situation Angel. I'm glad you were able to get your life back on track. I have an end of year dart party tonight (for our 2008! season) and I'll be cabbing it there and back. Starts at 7, I should be drunk my 9, and broke (damn poker and darts) by 10 pm.

I always make a point of leaving a $20 on my living room table for cab fare. No excuses that way.

[[THANATOS].Metal]

I had a friend killed a few years back from drinking too much, mixing it with pills, and deciding it was a good idea to drive home. He made it about 2 miles down the road before he passed out and hit a pole at a stoplight.

This is why I carry a mattress in the back of my truck if I'm going drinking. Always got a place to sleep it off.

[[THANATOS].-Hades]

30 years is not enough.

[[THANATOS].-Nitro-]

[THANATOS Wrote:.Metal"]
This is why I carry a mattress in the back of my truck if I'm going drinking. Always got a place to sleep it off.

liar
u just need a place to shag if you find a woman drunk enough to do it with u LOL
:dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:

[[THANATOS].Metal]

[THANATOS Wrote:.-Nitro-"]

[THANATOS Wrote:.Metal"]
This is why I carry a mattress in the back of my truck if I'm going drinking. Always got a place to sleep it off.

liar
u just need a place to shag if you find a woman drunk enough to do it with u LOL
:dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:

It's been used for that too.