"Oh no!!! This can't be happening yet! I thought we'd get at least a little warning before this happened - even ten minutes or something!" These thoughts were racing through my brain as my car cruised to a stop and died. "Okay, now get hold of yourself and think! Think! Obviously an EMP has happened...what to do first....okay, need to go back and pick up Sam."
I had dropped him off just about five minutes ago at soccer practice, so it wouldn't be too far to walk back and get him. Thank the Lord that I had some supplies, including my tennis shoes and extra socks, as well as water and some food in the back of my car. Since I am wearing clogs and will have to walk a good long way, first back to the soccer field and then the ten miles home, I need to change into the tennis shoes. My mind is actually clearer than I expected it to be in such a situation, which is good.
Jumping out of the car, I go to the back, retrieve and put on the socks and shoes and throw on the backpack carrying the water and food. Thankful that it has finally cooled off a bit, I start out walking along the road. Of course, there is no traffic, but then there is usually very little on this road anyway. I'm really grateful to live in an area that is a cross between suburbia and country and not have to worry about what's going on in the big city 20 miles away. Hopefully I can get back to Sam and get us home before more bad stuff happens and before it gets dark. I shake off the thoughts of how bad things may get and concentrate on making my way back to the soccer field.
Just before the highway to the soccer fields, there is a walking trail that the little town put in. It goes toward the fields so I turn onto it thinking it will be safer and also a bit shorter. Where it ends, you can cross the road and then another hiking trail picks up going all the way to the fields. This will save me some time and walking, which sounds really good. The only bad thing is that it passes behind the prison. "Sure hope the guards are able to still have things under control there!" Hurrying down the trail and keeping an eye on the prison and it's surrounding fences, I pray that we can make it home safely.
As I get to the end of the trail and see the parking lot for the soccer complex and the kids still practicing, I realize that no one else there must know that this has happened. The parents who stayed to watch practice are still sitting there talking and watching and the kids are running through their usual drills. I do see one team of younger kids finishing up though, so some parents will shortly realize that there's a huge problem.
Crossing the bridge leading to the practice fields, I head for Sam's team thinking I will ask him to leave early so we can get started for home. He won't be happy to leave before it's over, but surely when he realizes what's going on he won't fuss too much. "Guess I need to tell the coach what's going on, so he can let everyone go whose parents are here." My thoughts are heavy and I'm absorbed in them, when suddenly a noise from the parking lot startles me. One dad who rides a Harley has started up his motorcycle! I'm amazed that it starts..."shouldn't motorcycles be affected by EMP's too?" Then I realize that other families are getting into their cars and beginning to leave too. "WHAT?! How can that be?"
Duh! Bursting into laughter, the truth hits me and I feel like a dunce! Guess I've been reading too many end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it stories on the internet, because it never even occurred to me that my car simply had a mechanical problem when it died. How will I ever be able to explain this to my husband when I call him to ask him to pick us up?
I had dropped him off just about five minutes ago at soccer practice, so it wouldn't be too far to walk back and get him. Thank the Lord that I had some supplies, including my tennis shoes and extra socks, as well as water and some food in the back of my car. Since I am wearing clogs and will have to walk a good long way, first back to the soccer field and then the ten miles home, I need to change into the tennis shoes. My mind is actually clearer than I expected it to be in such a situation, which is good.
Jumping out of the car, I go to the back, retrieve and put on the socks and shoes and throw on the backpack carrying the water and food. Thankful that it has finally cooled off a bit, I start out walking along the road. Of course, there is no traffic, but then there is usually very little on this road anyway. I'm really grateful to live in an area that is a cross between suburbia and country and not have to worry about what's going on in the big city 20 miles away. Hopefully I can get back to Sam and get us home before more bad stuff happens and before it gets dark. I shake off the thoughts of how bad things may get and concentrate on making my way back to the soccer field.
Just before the highway to the soccer fields, there is a walking trail that the little town put in. It goes toward the fields so I turn onto it thinking it will be safer and also a bit shorter. Where it ends, you can cross the road and then another hiking trail picks up going all the way to the fields. This will save me some time and walking, which sounds really good. The only bad thing is that it passes behind the prison. "Sure hope the guards are able to still have things under control there!" Hurrying down the trail and keeping an eye on the prison and it's surrounding fences, I pray that we can make it home safely.
As I get to the end of the trail and see the parking lot for the soccer complex and the kids still practicing, I realize that no one else there must know that this has happened. The parents who stayed to watch practice are still sitting there talking and watching and the kids are running through their usual drills. I do see one team of younger kids finishing up though, so some parents will shortly realize that there's a huge problem.
Crossing the bridge leading to the practice fields, I head for Sam's team thinking I will ask him to leave early so we can get started for home. He won't be happy to leave before it's over, but surely when he realizes what's going on he won't fuss too much. "Guess I need to tell the coach what's going on, so he can let everyone go whose parents are here." My thoughts are heavy and I'm absorbed in them, when suddenly a noise from the parking lot startles me. One dad who rides a Harley has started up his motorcycle! I'm amazed that it starts..."shouldn't motorcycles be affected by EMP's too?" Then I realize that other families are getting into their cars and beginning to leave too. "WHAT?! How can that be?"
Duh! Bursting into laughter, the truth hits me and I feel like a dunce! Guess I've been reading too many end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it stories on the internet, because it never even occurred to me that my car simply had a mechanical problem when it died. How will I ever be able to explain this to my husband when I call him to ask him to pick us up?
