My Unlucky Day

When I was 9 years old my mom and I were driving home from my friend's house and as we turned into our driveway we got rear-ended. The car spun around, ending up facing the other direction on top of a giant rock at the foot of the driveway. Neither of us were really injured, but I did hit my head and my neck hurt so I had my first trip in an ambulance and first time in the emergency room. Once I got home I remember spending the night in my parents room and being woken up every few hours to make sure I didn't have a concussion.

The date was May 14.

Two years later, when I was in sixth grade I sprained my ankle at the end of my school day, on the walk to the bus. I still got on the bus and didn't move my leg for the 40 minute bus ride, making for an incredibly painful first step off the bus and a very slow 1/4 mile walk home. By the time my mom got home from work my doctor's office was closed and this was pre-urgent care centers so, it was off to the emergency room we went. When they were doing my intake they asked if I had ever been there before and I said yes, two years ago on May 14.   Then I realized the date. It was May 14. Let's just say I was sufficiently freaked out by the coincidence.

That was the last time I've had anything bad happen on May 14, and unfortunately I've had a handful of other hospital visits - both ER and inpatient stays at this point, trips with dates that aren't ingrained in my memory.

But after all of this time I still think of May 14 as my unlucky day. I'm never incredibly apprehensive or superstitious about it but in the back of my mind I always wonder if this will be the year May 14 is unlucky again.

Luckily, I made it through this year unscathed and have 364 days until I have to worry about pesky May 14 again.