Saturday, April 17, 2021

Letting Go, Holding On



Nearly there, dare I say? I signed a waiver yesterday, and reconfirmed with a D.A., I am not compelled to testify, in any more hearings, against the drunkladydriver. When my attorney, I hear her smiling, even over the phone, says "Now you can put this behind you," and other platitudes, I wince, I want to scream. I thought so, too... that there would be a day when the papers would all be signed, when my head, thoughts, words, and voice would be clear, accessible, when nighmares and panic would be something that used to happen, or that they would be infrequent enough to feel incidental. I imagined that determination, will, and effort would heal me, and put me in control of pain, of fear, of limitations. That, at the very least, I would feel a release, that it would all feel behind me. Nearly there? So many people tried to assure me that it will be over, soon, that restitution will help, told me that I am lucky to be alive, that I don't look injured... I want to be strong and brave, to heal well, and get over it, to be vindicated (Vindicated from what? The last two years and all of the subpeonas, hearings, reporting, even defending myself has played tricks on me, it's like a multi-faceted gas-lighting, so that now, it's as though I am responsible, it's my choice to make it stop, if only I would surrender, sign away any say, quit standing up for myself. Get over it!) It was always going to come down to me to move forward, to be well, but the system... insurance companies, lawyers, courts, the sheriff, the billing companies, they have a system, and they dangle a carrot and call it "Justice & Restitution," then they compel a person to participate, to figure it all out as they go, to be subjected to scrutiny and inspection, to meet law enforcement at the door, be followed home by the defense lawyer, to be cross-examined, to being manipulated, misled, and it becomes clear, little by little, that the only way out, is to let go. Let go of the outcome, let go of ideas about what justice and healing and compensation and recovery could have been or should have been, and then figure out what the new normal is going to be.

Life was never going to leave me unscathed, and something particularly awful happened, and the journey to the end of it was prolonged, protracted, and possibly as traumatic as the collision that started it all, but there's nothing that will make it right, or fair, or undo any of it. So. Perhaps on Monday, or some day in May, I will feel there, a little more over it than today, and I will not think of what happened, or why I cannot turn my head as I used to, maybe I won't want to stay home, stay quiet. Maybe I will go through my day, enjoying my blessings, and not attribute them to being "lucky to be alive" after a drunk drove into me, but to my own choices, efforts, ideas, loved ones, so that I feel my life is my own, and not entangled with someone else's actions. It's frustrating to know what would be ideal and good, yet constantly struggling to live in that knowledge, to act on those ideals. I can say this, though, when I stop getting calls, and emails, when I can be assured that no one will ask me testify, nor promise me "compensation," but withdraw it, add stipulations, deny the offer ever was, it will come down to me, and I will finally have a chance to get over it, as best I can, however I can.

Ok. That's done. I didn't want to have post after post about the collision, then skip the part where it all gets wrapped up. Almost there, I think. And in its own way, crummy as it has been there is good in this.

Sorry. One more thing, and this is... hard. Grace Hopper is back with the feed store, because she is ill, and was even when I brought her home. I was assured that she only needed a little time and a specific regimen, which I followed faithfully, happily, to get her on course. Caring for her was a welcome distraction from thinking about the disappointing, and drawn out collision garbage. When she got worse I asked them for help and they asked me to bring her in, then apologized, because the person that let me buy her should not have done that, and they needed to take her back, get the breeder to look at her, "policy, sorry, it's for her sake, how it should have been done." I was emotional and concerned and did whatever was asked, and to make a short story long... she is with the feedstore, being cared for, and it's a waiting game. They say I will be notified and have her returned if it's possible, but no promises, no assurances, nothing is guaranteed. Boy, don't I know it? Yeah, it's been a crummy, sad, hard week. Please give best thoughts for Grace Hopper. Please say a prayer with me that she will be back here, making us laugh, being her sweet sweet self, again.

4 comments:

Teresa Kasner said...

I just read about Grace having to go back for care. That must have been so sad. I do hope she gets all better and can come back. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

Natalie, the Chickenblogger said...

Thank you, Teresa.
The feed store brought in the breeder, who took her back to the farm. All along I was trying to do whatever was best for Grace, trusting in the feed store, acting in good faith. I feel like there's a chance they are sticking to their protocol without really listening to me, without knowing how earnestly I want to keep Grace. They are a business, so I respect that they have to cover their bases, but when they called in the breeder, the store told me "Well, it's out of our hands, now." I was never trying to 'unload a problem,' but as time goes by I have less and less influence. My wise and kind self wants only whatever is best for the goat, but my feelings are hurt... being apart from her, and feeling like they have no interest in my part. ugh... I am definitely unloading emotional weights. Thank you for the hugs and sharing in my concern. At the very least, I do feel assured that she is being looked after, that she will be loved, wherever she goes.

Ruth McCormick said...

A couple of things.....when we first moved to S.D. and were vacating our rental unit on Sapphire St. to move into Mt.Armet, I dissolved the finish off the stove when I used a too-caustic cleaner on it. Needless to say, we didn't get our security deposit back.

I'm glad the DDL court case may soon be ending. It will come back to bite you in the ass when you least expect it. Just a blip to the Universe, but not to you, for sure.

I pray that Little Grace will be okay. No doubt she received the best of care on your watch. I hope her owner(s) act honorably.

Natalie, the Chickenblogger said...

Oh my gosh... I remember Geoff sharing this anecdote, but he left off the part about losing your security deposit! Oh, that's awful. I'm so sorry!
Ruth, your supportive words and understanding have been helpful to me... there is something comforting about having people understand. It helps me feel a little saner, and that's very nice. Thank you.