Lesson: Slow Down

Background: Samantha is now a cheerleader, which I'll get to in a later post because it really does feel like it's taken over our lives.

Last night, I dropped Sam off at cheer practice and because I had a few minutes to kill before a meeting I had to be at, I decided to stay and watch for a bit. They take attendance and the girls run their lap(s). As a bunch of girls were running the far outside of the blacktop, opposite of where we were, a pick up truck comes barreling through, almost taking out quite a few of our cheerleaders. I watch in horror as this truck comes close to hitting Sam and knowing there is no way for me to get over there in time. By the grace of God, Sam realizes something's up and goes the only other direction she can to avoid getting hit - face first into a basketball pole.

As she comes limping back to me, I go out to meet her. The force has knocked the wind out of her, which has terrified her and she's got a nice bruise forming above her eyebrow. The cheer directer meets me and calls over on her cell to where this guy is going, only to be told that he was trying to get to a hurt football player. Umm, excuse me? So taking out a bunch of cheerleaders to get to an injured football player is somehow ok? The cheer director deals with that, while her coach gets her some ice, but at this point, she's had enough and wants to go home. And who could blame her.

This guy, which I found out later is the grandfather of the hurt player, never once used his horn to warn them he was coming up behind them, nor did he ever come over to see if Sam was ok. I think this is a case where I can truly call someone an asshole and mean it. Because he either didn't see the cheerleaders (next to impossible with 50 of them out there) or he simply didn't care. And I know this because moments later as I was carrying Sam back across the blacktop, he came barreling back through again...while there were still cheerleaders out there.

There is a part of me that wishes I had confronted the guy, but holding my baby was more important at that moment. Not to mention, he was in a truck and he apparently wasn't afraid to use it. I don't know where it will go from here. The football board has said they'll talk to the parents, but I'm not sure how much that will change anything, unless they make a policy that nobody, other than emergency vehicles, can come onto the black top during practices. But something needs to be done because it was only 3 weeks ago when some other asshole decided he didn't want to let a group of 10 of us finish crossing (in a crosswalk!) the parking lot after practice, so he gunned it and swerved around us, barely missing some of the cheerleaders.

So while Sam has a major headache and a nice size bruise & goose egg, she is no worse for wear. And compared to the alternative of what could have happened last night, for that I am thankful.

The lesson: slow down. The 20 seconds you saved, could have taken the life of somebody else.

Updated 9/16 to add: They have closed practices to all vehicles (they are keeping the fire gate locked to all but emergency vehicles) and they have sent out an email to every single parent. I am so glad they are taking this seriously!