Written and Edited - June 26th, 2017 - 1:01 pm to 1:37 pm
You Scared the Hell Out of Me
I had forgotten this experience until my mother reminded me when I was about 46 to 48 years old.
I don't remember how it came up. I think my mother had visited my sister recently and my sister told my mother about it. And I think my mother said that she didn't know that it happened, which might have been true or might have reflected her memory.
My mother jogged my memory but it's still vague.
One day, Jim was driving my sister and I somewhere. At one point, Jim and my sister got into a heated argument for some reason. The argument went to something like, why don't you let me out of the car, or I want to get out of the car or something like that. So, Jim stopped the car safely, my sister got out of the car and Jim and I drove off safely. I think I was about 10 or 11 years old and frozen with fear during their argument.
But when my sister got out of the car as we were driving away, my emotions took over and I didn't think at all. It scared the hell out of me to leave my sister behind to God knows where as we drove away.
So I yelled at Jim for what he had done. I don't remember what I said or how I said it. But I recall a strong feeling of, what the hell? You're scaring me, get my sister back or I need/want her. God knows what might happen to her. Her safety is at risk.
So I think I yelled at Jim for a minute or so, maybe a few or more.
I don't remember if Jim said anything. He might have said something like you're right, but I don't remember.
After what I feel like or remember as a brief interaction or exchange, Jim turned around and picked my sister up.
I don't remember what happened after that. I'm imagining that Jim and my sister apologized to each other, with Jim starting.
Looking back now, June 26th, 2017 at 1:27 pm I reflect that sometimes expressing ourselves from our emotions can be helpful. We can always do or say what if and we just don't know the dynamics or results of things that might happen. In fact, there are so many nooks and crannies to the human experience that we don't know everything that happens related to ourselves and each other when things do happen.
But, I'm glad that I expressed myself from a deep and natural place. I didn't stand on ceremony. I think both Jim and my sister got caught up in something for a moment. And I was able to connect with our humanity, get my sister back, and maybe offer perspectives that helped Jim and my sister understand each other a little bit more.