I never realized how powerful.. triggers are ... and flashbacks.. until this happened to me.. Every Halloween, brings this back to me.. to some degree...

Years ago on Halloween Day, I was crossing the street... for work.. the staff was housed in several buildings.. and I was crossing a busy street.. I did everything I was suppose to.. waited for the "walk" light.. and then.. a driver in a truck made a right turn on red.. and he hit me.. and I slid under his truck... he backed up.. got me out from underneath.. and "sat" me on the sidewalk... and just left... no one helped.. I got up.. walked to work.. and was taken for medical attention.. in shock.. bruises.. sprained ankle.. scrapes all over my body.. my coat.. had tire thread markings..

Flashback......................................................................................
Years later.. I was crossing a street... an busy street.. again with the "walk" light.. and I slipped and fell.. all the cars facing me.. at a stop light... me on the street - prone..

I couldn't get up.. I went into shock immediately... and I crawled... yepper crawled.. to the curb.. where I remained in shock.. I wasn't hurt.. I just was frozen.. in shock...
Lying there on the sidewalk.. once again - no one to help..
The fireman found me there... and helped...but I remained in shock.. incoherent... he thought that I had a head injury..

I had flashed back... so powerfully to my previous experience.. that I was incoherent... the fireman... really did not know what to do.. ... me either....

This time of year... I do "feel" that experience..

And crossing a street... well... that is something.. that I try not to do while walking...