Seatbelts

Today, I went to get in my car and could tell my mom had been in it. The seat was forward a good 4 inches, and the drivers side seatbelt was as far down as it would go. The seat bothers me less than the seatbelt; I can drive with the seat a lot farther up than I usually do, I just don't like it.

The seatbelt is another matter. I am extremely claustrophobic, especially when it comes to seat belts. I do not like my movements being restricted. Even just the half-second it took to raise the seatbelt made me anxious. I had to twist my body to fit under it, for Pete's sake!

A long time ago-probably 8 years-I was driving back from a funeral in New Mexico. I was with my Auntie Pam and a few of her children, including my cousin Jenna. Pam and one of my other cousins were in the front seat, discussing babies and when they felt like the best time to bathe them was. (The consensus was the morning, there's nothing nastier than the smell of baby pee that has sat in a diaper all night)

I inadvertantly extended the seatbelt all the way, and slowly the seat belt had become tighter over the past few miles. I started panicking and every rational thought left my mind. The conversation faded and I began trying to get out of the seatbelt, which only made it tighter. At this point, it was actually squeezing me and I was trying to control my breathing. The last conversation I wanted to have was with my sweet Auntie about how she gave me a ride home from the funeral and I went and got stuck in her car.

I knew in that very moment that I would die in that seatbelt. I tried squeezing my upper body out of it, but my head wouldn't fit. If only I had been flexible enough to contort my body to freedom!

I am pretty sure I was probably starting to panic noticeably by then. My cousin Jenna looked over and asked what I was doing. I was mortified that I had to tell her I was stuck forever in the seatbelt, but I did on the off chance that she would have scissors to cut me out of it.

In less than two seconds, Jenna reached over, pushed the release button on the seat belt, and released me from my prison.

As soon as she had done it, I felt retarded. I couldn't believe that I was really that panicked about the seatbelt. But I was more annoyed that the thought had never occurred to me that I could unbuckle it myself. That's usually how life works. We get caught up in our own drama and need an outside source to step in and be the voice of reason.

Even though I bet she doesn't remember that story, I am forever indebted to my cousin Jenna for releasing me from the prison of my own making :)