My car is now fender-less.

I was backing out of my driveway and saw that I was about to hit the mailbox. Looking back on it now, the logical response would be to put the car into drive and pull forward. My logical response was to turn the wheel and continue reversing; it almost worked.

Almost.

Somehow, someway, the fender of my car latched on to the door of the mailbox and completely tore off. Pieces of car went flying, up the driveway and out into the street. It was the ultimate flukey accident; I don’t think I could recreate the incident if I tried.

The mailbox is fine, thanks for asking.

It’s unarguably terrifying the first time your car makes contact with anything that’s not road. Nonetheless, (provided you are making safe/smart decisions and not driving drunk/drugged/distracted), I do believe life wouldn't be life without a fender-bender or two. And what's life without some life lessons, am I right?

1. You are irreplaceable.

How lucky I am that only my car sustained damage. You've heard it before, and you'll hear it again - almost anything can be replaced, but you cannot be. Never get behind the wheel under the influence, nor be the passenger of an impaired driver. Always wear your seatbelt - seriously, it takes two seconds to clip it into place. If you ever find yourself in a dangerous situation or feeling unsafe, take the necessary steps to protect yourself. Your purse or phone can be replaced.

2. Just tell your parents.

I'm not proud of this, but the minute I realized what had happened to my car, I panicked. Not so much because I was worried about the car - I knew it could be repaired; I was worried about what my parents would say/think/do. And so, I drove. I found refuge at my aunt's house - who lives only a neighborhood away - and avoided the inevitable for as long as possible. My aunt had to pry me off the sofa to go home and confess what had happened. Surprisingly enough, my parents weren't so much mad about the car; they were upset that I hadn't immediately returned inside to tell them what had happened. I know that it can be scary, but the sooner you confide in a parent (or a family member/teacher/counselor/trusted adult), the sooner you can work to remedy the situation.

3. Stop and think for a second.

If I had braked to consider my options, chances are I would have realized that I needed to pull forward, rather than continue reversing. There is very seldom a need to rush. If you need to make a decision, slow down (I would recommend coming to a full stop), and really think about what's best to do in that moment. I can pretty much guarantee you'll make a better decision, and, for that, you'll thank yourself later.

4. A good dessert is a beautiful thing.

Shoutout to the Applebee's waitress who paid for my churro s'mores (10/10 would recommend) because I ran into my mailbox. That made a not-so-great day 100% better. You're MVP.

I would also recommend being careful around mailboxes. Those things are tougher than they look.