You never know who you're going to run into.

I know that this is old news to many of you in Colquitt, Donalsonville and especially Bainbridge. I was in a wreck last Tuesday. I know the word is out, because they were calling before I got home to check to see if I made it.

As usual, on Tuesday morning, we finish up the weekly newspaper, send it to Bainbridge over e-mail, and I go pick it up in my truck. As usual, while in the city, I have a list of things to pick up prior to going to pick up the paper.

As usual, for the past 30 odd years, I was travelling down Shotwell St. going to pick up some day old bread. The traffic is fairly fast when Shotwell goes from two lanes to four lanes of traffic. As I was turning left, another truck was turning left facing me. I checked out the left lane, and it was clear when I started to make my turn, but just as I turned, there was a vehicle. Neither of us touched our brakes. I wounded up going back where I came from. It was a hard lick to say the least. Just time I could see from all the smoke inside my vehicle, I attempted to get out and see about the driver in the other car. My door was jammed. A man helped me kick my door open and get out. I checked on the other driver, and she was getting out. She had a cut on her head, but said she was all right.

When I asked her name, she said Jennifer Bryan.

I asked if she wanted me to call someone.

She said, "Call my daddy, and gave me a number."

I couldn't get him to answer and asked who her daddy was.

"He is Ned Bryan," she answered.

I told her I went to school in Colquitt with her daddy and his brother Ted. About that time, her cousin came up. She said she would call Ned.

Jennifer was taken to the emergency room to be checked out. The EMTs wanted me to go, too, but I told them other than broken glasses and a cut over the eye, I was fine.

I must have been addled since I had two cameras and didn't get good photos of the accident. I never did get my cheap bread, which winds up not being so cheap.

Both vehicles were damaged extensively. That happens with a near head-on.

The investigating officer wrote me a ticket for failing to yield, and left.

I had called the office, and Wanda borrowed her husband's truck to come pick up the newspapers and me.

Mark Pope, from the Post Searchlight saw me standing on the side of the street with my inserts and two cameras. He stopped to see what was going on, since I was supposed to be at his place picking up the newspapers.

About time I was loading up in his truck, Wanda drove up, and we went to pick up the Liberal and The Warrior's Word newspapers. The teacher at SGA called from Washington, D.C. to ask me to pick up their newspaper since she wouldn't get there in time. I told her I would get them.

I called Ned to get Jennifer's number to check on her. Betty Jo had already checked the hospital, and she had been dismissed. When I got her, I asked how she was, and she said other than the cut on her head, she just doesn't have a way to go.

I told her I understood and how sorry I was it had happened. I am just so happy that no one was hurt bad. I've been to a number of wrecks with less damage and much worse injuries or death.

I told her that the Lord had something else for both of us. We just have to find out what it is.

That is the only real accident I have ever been in since the 1970s when a buddy of mine was going to show me how his dune buggy wouldn't turn over. It did, threw him out and rolled over on top of me and caught fire.

I just got a call that both vehicles were total losses. Guess that means we need to start looking for another way to go.

As I said last week, God is good, all the time.