Harangue Hits Home, on Dispatch from the Razor's Edge

Way, Way Too Close To Home

From: "Abbe Macbeth"
To: "michael stephen fuchs"
Subject: RE: Razor's Edge 2006.12.21
Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2006 00:13:32 +0000

Michael - it's very interesting that you sent this out just
now.  I know you always do, but the timing is especially
ironic this year.

Last Wednesday (Dec 13), I was involved in a very serious car
accident.  Exactly what you said was most common happened: I
was on a two lane road (Georgetown Pike), heading towards
495  to go to work, and the traffic was fairly heavy.  I was
coming around a curve, and suddenly a large white van was
coming  straight at me, in my lane.  I got hit almost head on
- he crashed into my driver's side front wheel, crushing the
whole front of my (brand-new) car, and causing a lot of
damage.

I was INCREDIBLY lucky.  No cuts, no breaks, just lots of
bruises and a pretty bad case of whiplash, as well as burns
from the seatbelt and a little chest pain from the airbag.
But as of today, I am feeling much better - the healing is
coming along nicely.  I had a series of neck xrays, as well as
a CT scan of my abdomen, as I had some abdominal pain, but
everything has come back negative, so things could have been
much worse.  My car was totaled, and I am waiting to hear from
the other guy's insurance company (hopefully tomorrow) as to
what they are going to offer.  He was 100% at fault - got a
ticket for failure to control a vehicle - so I guess that's a
positive.

I was (and still am) very shaken up - couldn't get the feel or
sound of the crash out of my head for a few days.  I just
drove for the first time yesterday, and I am very apprehensive
when I see vehicles similar in appearance heading towards me -
I am definitely taking larger roads now.

So, I am ok, but I wanted to let you know.  It's been quite an
experience - I haven't been able to get to work, as only in
the past couple of days have I been able to turn my head at
all.  I still have some abdominal pain, and some nasty
bruises, but I am getting better.  I'm just trying to take it
easy until after the holidays, when I think I will be much
better and can get back to work.

In happier news, I am so glad that you're back in the country,
and if you want to come by and visit, please let me know when
- our guest room is yours.

I hope you have a very happy holiday, and I will talk to you
soon!

love,
abbe

abbe danger driving

Dispatch from the Razor's Edge is owned and operated by novelist, technologist, vegan, exercise junkie, classical liberal, rambler, and Londoner Michael Stephen Fuchs.

Fuchs is the author of the novels The Manuscript and Pandora's Sisters, both published worldwide by Macmillan in hardback, paperback and all e-book formats (and in translation); the D-Boys series of high-tech, high-concept, spec-ops military adventure novels – D-Boys, Counter-Assault, and Close Quarters Battle (coming in 2016); and is co-author, with Glynn James, of the bestselling Arisen series of special-operations military ZA novels. The second nicest thing anyone has ever said about his work was: "Fuchs seems to operate on the narrative principle of 'when in doubt put in a firefight'." (Kirkus Reviews, more here.)

Fuchs was born in New York; schooled in Virginia (UVa); and later emigrated to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he lived through the dot-com boom. Subsequently he decamped for an extended period of tramping before finally rocking up in London, where he now makes his home. He does a lot of travel blogging, most recently of some very long walks around the British Isles. He's been writing and developing for the web since 1994 and shows no particularly hopeful signs of stopping.

You can reach him on .