The green VW Beetle and the power of reaction

The green VW Beetle and the power of reaction

I woke up in hospital with my right leg in plaster. I had no idea how I got there. I was only 4 years old. Let me tell you how it happened, as told to me later. This experience is one of my earliest memories.

Every day at dusk, my older brother and I would stand by the front gates of our house waiting for grandpa to come home from work. The moment we saw his white VW Beetle turning the corner, we would jump for joy. He would stop his car across the street and we would go over to meet him. He would open the door and we would hop in the back, just so we could ride with him as he drove the car into our garage. Although we would spend less than 30 seconds inside the car, that would be the ultimate fun for us (don’t ask me why! There’s no way parents could get away with doing this as some kind of fun for their kids today…)

On that particular day, I let go of my brother’s hand to cross the street ahead of him. I remember it as if it were yesterday. As grandpa was pulling up to the curb across the street, I looked and saw a green VW Beetle turning the corner (yes, Beetles were very popular back then. You could have a car in any color you liked, as long as it was a Beetle…) I ran across. I guess my 4-year-old brain didn’t fully grasp the idea of time and speed yet. I didn’t expect the car to come so fast. One second it was turning the corner, the next second… you can imagine.

Tires screeched and the car hit me. My small body flew forward a few meters, landed and rolled on the asphalt, and somehow the Beetle ended up on top of me, my right ankle under the left front wheel.

The driver got out of the car and just acted frantically, not knowing what to do. But my hero had a different reaction.

When my granddad saw what happened, he didn’t think twice. He ran out of his car like a flash towards me. Grabbing the front bumper of the Beetle, he lifted the car enough so that someone could pull my leg from under the wheel. He saved my leg, and possibly my life.

I will never forget that day—not only because of the trauma and immense gratitude and admiration for my grandfather, but also because of two lessons it taught me.

1. Reaction is everything. When you are under pressure, faced with a huge problem bearing down on you, your immediate reaction will determine the final outcome. Whether the problem defeats you or turns into a successful experience will depend on how you react. So, react! And do it quickly!
2. Immediate reaction benefits from extraordinary strength. When we are attacked, our body’s defense system increases its strength. You need to take advantage of it and unleash that strength. That’s where my grandpa’s super-power came from. But the trick is, if you take too long and let that moment pass, your strength will diminish. React. And do it quickly.

These principles apply to any situation or problem you face. Use these weapons God has given you.

If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Proverbs 24:10

Disclaimer: Of course I’m not speaking about emotion, emotional reactions, or fighting with people. I’m speaking about having an intelligent reaction and using it for good, to overcome a problem.