My brush with Death! (not a bad guy)

So anyway, I help out with the youth group at my church; the Jr. Highs! And we just recently had our winter retreat at a camp 2.5 hours north of Toronto; Camp Medeba. It was a fantastic weekend. Those guys have SO much energy!
Anywho, we took a school bus there, which left the church at about 6-ish. At about 6:30 'o' clock-ish, well, there was a bit of a misshap.
I'm sure the vast majority of those reading this have at one time been on a school bus. You can picture the noise. You can picture the girls up front, singing, or talking about how smelly and gross boys are. The guys in the back, playing cards, or talking about how stupid the girls up front are for singing, or for not liking their body odour. And it's dark. Now, I'm sure, or at least hope, that none of you have experienced what happened to me that fateful night.
I was sitting in the dark, laughing at the guys behind me, when suddenly there was an explosion (it sounded like an explosion to me) and a bright light. Next thing I know, I'm covered in shattered glass, and everybody is going nuts. I glance at the window in my seat, which is behind me, and there's a giant, spikey hole where more glass should have been. Then I felt my head, concluding that glass usually doesn't shatter of it's own accord (I of course mean outside of Stephen King novels), and that something had to have come in. Taking my hand from my head, I see blood.
So I quickly do what any reasonable youth leader would do in this situation......I panic! I start yelling that I'm bleeding, and that I need a towel, or something. Everybody finally realizes that I'm yelling for a reason, and help is soon on the way. I say a quick prayer to God, no particular prayer that I remember, just wanting Him to know I'm still here, and then suddenly, as everybody gathers round me, I'm filled with this over powering calm. Like, unnaturally. I realize that there are a bunch of kids on this bus who must be freaking out, and I gotta calm them. So I begin to crack wise, and so forth, letting them know I'm fine.
Anyway, you're wondering what came through the window. Well, on the high way, you'll often see hunks of car off to the side. Well, that night, a passing vehicle (I'm thinking a truck) kicked up a muffler, which flew up, and crashed through my window. Now buses are pretty high, so it had to be the mother of all shots!
I don't think I was actually hit by the muffler, but if I were, it would have been just a graze from the end, but more likely, it was a piece of flying glass. So now I have a nifty cut, turning to scar on the right side of my forehead.

There were definitely funny parts to the whole ordeal. Like the fact that one of my fellow youth leaders was quick to help stop my bleeding by using one of her Maxi Pads (unused. I made sure to ask). And when the paramedics asked me how my vision was, I said, "I'm not really sure. I've never really been tested. 20/20, I guess." To which he replied, "No. I mean right now." "Oh.....it's fine."

But it was a great evening and weekend and I really learned and was reminded that God is watching out for me. That's my point. And now I'm tired of typing. Adios!

-Howard

Post Script: Of course, how can I forget my date with Marielle afterward. It was a romantic time. Just her, me, and everbody else in the emergency room. Very intimate!