I think that everyone has an idea in their head of what an adventure is for them. Whether it is rock climbing, skiing the Matterhorn, or skinny dipping in the pool at the Holiday Inn. There could be millions of factors or requisites for Adventure identification, but to me there are only two necessary identification questions.
1. Does it get your Adrenaline flowing/blood pumping?
2. Does it create a cool/kick-ass story.
Based on those two key yeses, being the first responder on scene of a flipped vehicle is in fact an Adventure. Story below.
Flipped Jeep
After a weekend exploring the wilds of Southwest Michigan, my Brother-in-law and I set sights for home amid tempestuous winter conditions. Freezing rain pellets froze to the road, and created extremely dangerous driving conditions. We continued on undeterred, as Jason was drawn home by his pregnant wife. As we snaked through the rural backcountry, we passed a
Jeep Liberty that was on its side. In passing we noticed no other vehicles on the scene, and quickly pulled a U-turn. We were the first responders.
I thought to myself. "This is what you have trained for!" "This is what all of those years in Boy Scouts was all about!" I told Jason to call 9-1-1 as I exited our car. As I approached the overturned vehicle, I noticed a creepy little girl standing up in the front window of the Jeep. I thought that if this girl ended up in the front window, then her parents could be extremely beat up.
At this point I look over my shoulder and see that a pickup truck has also stopped, and is talking on the phone to 9-1-1 about what street we are on.
Back at the Jeep,I tried to lift up the handle of the front door, but it was locked. At that point, I was sure that I was going to get to smash at least one window, which I have always wanted to do. Unfortunately for my window smashing dream, but fortunately for the people inside, I heard a tapping from within on the glass of the back seat window. I was able to open the door and out pops the head of a man, and below him, within the wrecked fuselage, I can see his wife.
They said in broken English that they are only bruised and shaken up but not hurt, and that they will wait for help from within their still wobbling compact SUV. With a little nudging, I was able to convey the message that their current camping site within their recently rolled over car, was not a safe one, and they then agreed. Although I would have liked to smash a window, I am just glad that no one was dead, and the family was safe.
We were able to help them down from the side of the car, while bracing it from falling completely onto its roof. The local hillbilly type guy with the truck put the small family in his back seat, and waited for the police to respond.
With the family safe, we flipped a bitch, set our sights toward home and talked and joked excitedly in an attempt to diffuse some of the adrenaline that had built up within us.
Sometimes an adventure is being in the right place at the right time, and being prepared to do the right thing.
