The perils of being a photographer on the road

Everyone I meet says that I have the coolest job in the world. I get to travel around and snap pictures while meeting interesting people and checking out cool places. This is true, I do have the best job in the world but there are always bumps in the road. In this case, I bumped into a rather large tractor. This harbinger of utter destruction was driven by a boy not more than ten years old. I was following along behind he and his buddy when they slowed and pulled over to the side of the road in a little town called Locke in Wherethehellami County in New York. Thinking, as most people would, that this was an indication for me to pass them, I looked down the road and seeing nobody coming moved on by. At this point, the tractor swerved across at the rental car prompting me to inwardly scream like a little girl. I stomped on the brakes and tried to swerve out of the way to avoid the rural version of a monster truck rally. Managing to hit only the tractor's tire the front end was smashed up pretty badly. (Shit!) 

I did my best to keep the kids calm while the driver's father showed up (I'd hate to have gotten that call from my son.) It should be mentioned that the rental car was not mine either but my father-in-law's and no I was not on the rental agreement. (Shit, shit!) John, the kid's father, showed up a few minutes later and considering the situation we had a nice little chat about how beautiful upstate New York is. 

John: You from around here?

Me: Nope, from Oklahoma.

John: First time in upstate?

Me: Yes, it's really beautiful actually.

John: We think so....

Me: Sorry to meet you under these circumstances.

John: Me too. Your car?

Me: No, it's a rental.

John: (Shit) Is that a Toyota?

Me: Yep, I think.

John: (Shit) Aren't they expensive?

Me: Expensive enough, I've never owned one. It's my father-in-law's rental car. (Shit)

John: (patting me on the back) Ouch, sorry man. 

It's all part of the adventure of traveling and as nobody got hurt, makes for an interesting story. Unfortunately, it gives my father-in-law endless opportunity to bring the incident up in front of complete strangers and will be his favorite tale about me for quite some time I'm sure. I'm now christened "Crash" for all time. Ah well.

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