Friday, August 17, 2012

Follow your instincts.....

Thank you to the lovely Miss Simmonds for sharing this award. I hope you have all had the pleasure of meeting her, but if you have not passed by her lovely blog, please pop over sand say hello.  I will pass the award on at the end of the post.



I have struggled with telling you 7 interesting things about me that I have not already told. Though how interesting they are is another question. I will, instead, tell a story that happened more than 20 years ago…..

University had just broken up for mid year holidays, and I was driving back homeIt was a 4 hour drive from Wagga Wagga to Braidwood and it was night. I had some car problems on the way home and had to change a tyre around Gundagai.

I had phoned my parents to let them know that I was on the way but would be arriving late. I managed to buy a spare tyre by chance at the service station as the repair shop was closed, but the attendant found me one that would do in an emergency.  I drove another 2 hours without incident.

On one of the back roads, just 15 minutes from Bungendore (45 minutes from home) I had another flat tyre. At the time, there were very few houses in the rural area. I should mention that this was around 11:00 at night and no lights along the road.  I was lucky I bought the extra spare.

I had just finished changing the tyre when an older man (probably 40-50s) pulled over to ask if I needed help. I said that I was o.k., that I had finished and I was on my way. He was not very tall, had dark hair, was driving a small car, something like a Datsun 1200, maybe, possibly maroon. He stood near me and I could tell that he had been drinking.  He wore work pants, shirt and tie.

As I was packing up, he was fluffing around in his car, and then said that he was having trouble starting it. He said he would get a rope to tie onto my car and suggested that I tow his car to get it started. I was feeling uneasy, I got back into my car, locked my doors and wound up my window.

After a few failed attempts, he said that he could not untie the rope as it was tied too tightly and that he would get a knife to cut it.  He continued to fumble around in his boot. I was terrified, I started my car, and drove as fast as I could, with the rope following behind.  I cried all the way to Bungendore where luckily my sister and her family was living, terrified that I would see headlights following me. It was the longest drive of my life.

The next morning, my dad drove over to pick me up and he looked at the rope. It fell from the car when he touched it. It was not tied tightly as the man had proclaimed.

I will never forget that night. I will never know if his intentions were innocent. At that time, alone, 20 years old, on the side of a dark rural road, with alcohol on his breathe and the mention of a knife, I was scared.

We drive past that spot often, I always say, “that’s the hill that I broke down and the guy was going to kill me”.  He was probably a normal guy, driving home from work, pulled over to help and remembers the girl that drove off leaving him stranded on the side of the road. Who knows….

What I do know is, always follow your instincts! Its better to be safe than sorry.

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I have contemplated pulling the pin on my blog lately, you may have noticed that my posts are shorter and less frequent. Lately I just haven't been in the right place to write, but I still have so much to share. I have been a jumble of emotions lately, from high to low....very low but I am trying to find the balance, and not let work dictate my home life.....its hard......very hard.....

I would like to pass this to the lovely bloggers that have kept my embers burning, when I am feeling down, they make my day a little brighter (in no particular order)......

vintageandart (Bron and her amazing mum)

My nomination list is quite long (more than 15) and I could have added more, though others have already received this award and some are award free blogs. If I have forgotten you, please feel free to take it too, while passing by........Tamara x

8 comments:

Vintage Bird Girl said...

Thanks so much for the blog award! We seem to pass those between eachother! Please keep on blogging, if only for my sake. I love your treasures & style. That story was scary....I think your instinct was right to drive away. Thank God you were okay. Take lots of care & remember blogland would be a lot emptier without you here. Xx

Kimmie said...

That story made me shiver. I believe you did the right thing!

Bit the same way with my blog at present. I know I would regret stopping so wont. This too shall pass eh what!

Thanks for the award cupcake!

Flotsam said...

It is only when we see reconstructions on programmes such as Crimewatch that we think 'why did she stay'? You did the right thing, no doubt, but it is so hard when we are told to be polite and (I) assume most folk are good. It takes some balls to do what you did. Thankfully you are still around to tell the tale.

We are about to hand summer back to you in our endless exchange of seasons. I know you have been excited by the snow, but just think; in a few month's time you will be sitting on your veranda sipping lemonade.


I hope your sunny days return to you sooner than expected, Tam; and thanks for the mention. :)

Sarah Jane said...

That story is so scary. You absolutely did the right thing to get away. Don't worry about your blog break. People would much rather read heartfelt content that you're enthusiastic about than forced platitudes. Hope you're feeling brighter soon xxx

*Maristella* said...

Carissima Tamara...ti ringrazio tantissimo per aver pensato anche a me!!!!! ;o))))
Sei un tesoro ed io sono molto contenta di questo premio!!
Nel mio prossimo post inserisco il logo del premio con il link al tuo blog!
Sei forte, un abbraccio grande e buon week-end di cuore, *Maristella*.

*Maristella* said...

Carissima, sono ancora io...ho tradotto quello che hai scritto, sono contenta che tu sia riuscita a tornare a casa sana e salva.
Sono d'accordo con te, meglio essere prudenti che feriti...un bacione grande, *Maristella*.

vintageandart said...

My heart was beating so fast as l was reading your story....HOW did you contain yourself enough to try and help that guy, you were so BRAVE...but l agree it's WAY better to be safe than sorry.(l'm thinkin Ivan Milat) What fantastic intuition (smarts) to pick up a spare tyre as well, l'd never have thought of that....l'm so happy you haven't pulled the pin on your blog...l love it...it's always interesting, funny and entertaining..l'm sure it's not easy for you with all you have going on but we your readers are grateful you take the time to connect.
Thanks so much for the award Tam you're a wonderful bloggy bud...wait til l tell Mum she got a mention she'll have a grin like a rat with a gold tooth.

Kylie said...

So scary Tam.
I had a similar incident a couple of weeks ago (I mentioned it on the blog) big difference, it was only a couple of weeks ago, and I am definetely old enough and ugly enough to know better than to put myself in a potentially dangerous situation!
Thanks for including me in your list Tam. Great company there.
I hope you keep blogging because I'd really miss you if you stopped. I also really hope you feel happier and less stressed soon. Such a shame you couldn't make that work trip to Perth, I would've loved to catch up with you. Hang-in-there x