Petals,Posies,Bows, and how I got to where I am

It was the day after Valentines Day 2005, I was working at a flower shop as a florist. It had been one hell of a week, but this day February 15th was going to be laid back;lots of cleaning and celebrating that we survived the floral industries "D-Day." It was a typical  February morning and I was a typical teenager who never allowed enough time for anything.I had spent my Valentines Day evening with my boyfriend after an exhausting day at the flower shop.I woke up that next morning hurriedly gathered my gifts and made the forty-five miniature drive to my home. I only allowed myself enough time to drop and go, I had to keep moving if I wanted to make it to work on time. I grabbed a pair of comfortable shoes and thought to myself  "I'll change these on the way,maybe at a stop light or when I get there." It was a beautiful day sunny and mid forties and I rushed myself to work, speeding along the way to make up time. I decided to take a back road, I was going to need this road eventually so why not now; it was a small twisty road that went up over the mountain and rarely saw much traffic except for its own residences, surely I could make up time. At some point I had changed one of my shoes as I sped along. Less then three miles from work that's when it happened. I lost it, I felt the car start to slide to the left, where a mini van was approaching; natural instinct I pulled the wheel and I was back into my lane, however not for long the car slid again and I was staring into the back seat of the  minivan. Alls I could see was a car seat and I thought I can not hit this van. I did the only thing I had time for, I gripped the wheel and bent down tucking my head between the door jam and the steering column. I closed my eyes, and shouted out loud repeatedly that I didn't want to die, I knew my car was going to go down over the side of the mountain. I blacked out. When I regained consciousness, I was  laying on my side hanging in my seat belt. I had slid on black ice my car had spun several times, took out a telephone pole, and rolled down the mountain until it finally wedged itself between some trees. I started bawling, shaking, and screaming for help. I unbuckled my  seat belt and kicked the glass out the passenger side window and stood up. My adrenaline was pumping WTF just happened? I looked around standing up on the road was the lady driving the van. "Help is on the way" she yelled to me. "Help? On the way?" That's not good enough I thought, I need it now I could smell the odor of something burning and gas, I had to get out. I found my cell phone and crawled out of the car on my own and up the side of the mountain. The lady took one look at me, and demanded I sit in her van until helped arrived. Was she nuts? I was obviously ok I just survived the crash, was self extricated and I still needed to call my dad, call work, and a tow truck. She was persistent, agreed that I could call my father, but told me I really needed to sit down. I sat in the front seat of the van the little boy in the car seat looked at me terrified. An off duty police officer arrived and jumped in the back seat of the van and leaned forward grabbing my head and neck, he insisted that I did not move anymore. My left arm started hurting I was having chest pain, It finally hit me that I was tasting my own blood. I glared into the rear view mirror and saw blood running down my cheeks and from ears. I began spitting shards of glass, from my mouth I could feel the grit of glass in my teeth. More glass and blood as I spit. It seemed like forever, but I could hear sirens coming my way. Soon after someone new had grabbed my head and a collar was placed around my neck, four or five other people were all trying to talk to me at once moving me onto a back board, great I thought they are going to drop me back down the side of this mountain. I was placed on a stretcher and moved into the ambulance. So much was going on around me, my dad had gotten into the front seat of the ambulance there was a guy in the back ready to look at me and another firefighter had crawled in to help. I remember telling the one guy that I couldn't breath, that this thing around my neck had to come off, I told him that I was scared and that I was going to pass out. He told me to focus on something in the ambulance, and suggested that I look at the good looking firefighter that was with him. Ok good plan, he was good looking and the firefighter had moved to the captains chair above my head where I could look up at him. I must of not been with it at all, cause I wasn't holding back and I told him that he was cute, but that didn't last long, I blacked out again. I must not have been out long because when I woke nothing seemed to have changed, the ambulance siren  was still screaming and no one had changed in the back.My shirt sleeve had been cut and the guy had asked me to wiggle my toes, great it was just then I remembered I still had two different shoes on.The remainder of the ride stayed uneventful, however I don't exactly remember what else was said or done. I arrived at the E.R. was seen and the exam and xrays all came back clear. My arm was in a sling, but I had no severe injuries, minor cuts and bumps and some severe bruising from my seat belt. It wasn't till a week later that I was cleared to go back to work, first thing was first I sent a snack basket to both  local fire departments that were on scene that day, that showed me compassion and gave me excellent care. Just over a year later I had started dating someone new who was a volunteer firefighter and an EMT, it wasn't long till I found myself joining the department and beginning the whirlwind that would be one of my greatest adventures ever and would soon consume me. I had entered the realm of Fire and EMS services.