Cooke - Critical Decision
Of all of my Cooke essays, I liked this one the least. My dad said he liked it because he said it really felt like it came from someone who was 25. He told me that most people haven't had to make a critical decision at this point in their live unless they had children. So, I didn't change it.
Describe a time you were under pressure to make a critical decision. How did you respond? What was the impact of your decision? Faced with the same situation do today, would you do anything differently? (1500 characters or 300 words)
A newly licensed driver, I was on my way to visit a friend in the country. A Mustang kept pace with me as we sped down winding roads that nearly everyone drove too fast. I envisioned the lady in the Mustang watching me crash my car, but it was a fleeting thought, easily dismissed. As I went over a hill I found myself on a collision course with a truck towing a car. The truck had swerved into my lane and was making a wide turn into a driveway. With both vehicles blocking the road, I could only remember the admonition of my defensive driving instructor to avoid as much of the collision as possible. I recall the expression of horror on the face of the driver in the car that was being towed. I swerved to avoid him and drove my car into the clay embankment on the side of the road. It was my first car accident. Swerving to miss the other vehicles meant the accident was my fault and paying for the extensive damages to my friend’s vehicle would be my responsibility. I would not alter my decision to drive off the road as it possibly saved one if not two lives that day. I learned not to drive too fast even on lightly traveled roads. I learned strangers will come to your aid in situations like this. The lady in the Mustang, an emergency room nurse, helped me out of the car and examined me. She called my mother and the police. The men towing the vehicles, both skilled auto mechanics, assuming some blame for the accident, helped to repair the car while I only paid for the parts.
Describe a time you were under pressure to make a critical decision. How did you respond? What was the impact of your decision? Faced with the same situation do today, would you do anything differently? (1500 characters or 300 words)
A newly licensed driver, I was on my way to visit a friend in the country. A Mustang kept pace with me as we sped down winding roads that nearly everyone drove too fast. I envisioned the lady in the Mustang watching me crash my car, but it was a fleeting thought, easily dismissed. As I went over a hill I found myself on a collision course with a truck towing a car. The truck had swerved into my lane and was making a wide turn into a driveway. With both vehicles blocking the road, I could only remember the admonition of my defensive driving instructor to avoid as much of the collision as possible. I recall the expression of horror on the face of the driver in the car that was being towed. I swerved to avoid him and drove my car into the clay embankment on the side of the road. It was my first car accident. Swerving to miss the other vehicles meant the accident was my fault and paying for the extensive damages to my friend’s vehicle would be my responsibility. I would not alter my decision to drive off the road as it possibly saved one if not two lives that day. I learned not to drive too fast even on lightly traveled roads. I learned strangers will come to your aid in situations like this. The lady in the Mustang, an emergency room nurse, helped me out of the car and examined me. She called my mother and the police. The men towing the vehicles, both skilled auto mechanics, assuming some blame for the accident, helped to repair the car while I only paid for the parts.
posted by Sunny Quack, MD at 4/07/2006 10:55:00 PM
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