Et tu?
My ex-sister-in-law and her daughter were in a horrific car accident yesterday. My niece, because she was wearing her seatbelt, escaped with minor cuts and bruises. A good samaritan stopped, helped my niece out of the overturned car and called her father.
He also prevented her from seeing her mother lying in the middle of the highway. She'd been thrown from the car and landed 30-feet away in a lane of oncoming traffic. They flew her to the nearest trauma center, and she is in critical condition.
As my mother was telling me about the accident, she went on and on about how my ex-SIL hadn't been wearing her seatbelt. My mother even went so far as to tell my niece that sometimes people have consequences to their actions and since she had chosen to wear her seatbelt, the consequences were good. (And what was the implied corollary to that statement? Yeah. Nice.)
At that point, I just couldn't help myself. In a very sweet tone of voice, I said to my mother, "So, now you are never again going to get into my car and not put your seatbelt on, are you?"
Complete silence.
This has long been a bone of contention between us. In fact every time she gets in my car, we go through this. I have taken to looking straight at her and flat out saying that the car isn't moving unless she puts the belt on, as if she was two years old. So, as she was telling me this story, and castigating this poor woman who yet might die, all I could think was how dare you?
Sometimes I can be such a bitch.
He also prevented her from seeing her mother lying in the middle of the highway. She'd been thrown from the car and landed 30-feet away in a lane of oncoming traffic. They flew her to the nearest trauma center, and she is in critical condition.
As my mother was telling me about the accident, she went on and on about how my ex-SIL hadn't been wearing her seatbelt. My mother even went so far as to tell my niece that sometimes people have consequences to their actions and since she had chosen to wear her seatbelt, the consequences were good. (And what was the implied corollary to that statement? Yeah. Nice.)
At that point, I just couldn't help myself. In a very sweet tone of voice, I said to my mother, "So, now you are never again going to get into my car and not put your seatbelt on, are you?"
Complete silence.
This has long been a bone of contention between us. In fact every time she gets in my car, we go through this. I have taken to looking straight at her and flat out saying that the car isn't moving unless she puts the belt on, as if she was two years old. So, as she was telling me this story, and castigating this poor woman who yet might die, all I could think was how dare you?
Sometimes I can be such a bitch.
posted by Karin at
1:34 PM
2 Comments:
On the one hand, I fail to understand, with the hundreds of news stories like that that are a perennial feature of the pages buried in the local section of the newsaper, why it is that anybody doesn't wear their seatbelts (other than say, moving the car 10 feet in the driveway or something).
On the other hand, correct time to point this fact out? Not immediately after family member (even black sheep family members) have been in one of said accidents.
Wearing seatbelt? Smart. Not blaming the victim? Basic decency.
She might not be the world's best woman, but she's still her mother. Your vindictiveness can wait.
By
Anonymous, at 1:24 PM
Well, not my vindictiveness...but yeah. At least it should wait. Saying I told you so is never particularly nice, but in some instances it is downright hurtful.
By
Anonymous, at 1:28 PM
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