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thenewgreen  ·  4418 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Ask Hubski: Have you ever been in a car accident when you are the driver?

Time is a strange thing in moments like that. You are forced out of any internal dialog and fully and completely in to the present moment. If you've not ever seen the movie Fearless with Jeff Bridges, I highly recommend it. There are people that get addicted to the extreme hyper-awareness and presence that situations like car accidents provide. This can account for the popularity of things like extreme sports -sky diving etc.

About 6 years ago I was driving down the highway at about 70 mph when the hood of my car flipped up and smashed in to my windshield. Glass shattered all over and I struggled to maintain control of my vehicle in the ice and snow. I was fine, just some minor cuts and scratches and I avoided contact with all other cars. In total it lasted about 10 seconds but felt like an hour. I can still remember the smell and the taste of some of the particles from the hood that were in my mouth.

Scared the shit out of me.

aside: Have you ever noticed that time goes slowly in moments like that, when you are fully in the present moment? Conversely, time goes by quickly when you are "zoned out" or constantly in the state of mundane thought. Perhaps the key to a seemingly "long life" is to try and be present as much as possible.... without the need for an extreme situation. -Easier said than done, I think.