Title → Let's Get Personal Uploaded Date → Evening, December 29th, 2014 By → Ca-Ca-Cassidy Description → Challenge for the month of December. Please donate to S.A.D.D (Students against drunk driving.)
[Cassidy turns on the video, her face is pretty stoic, she looks a little apprehensive almost. After a moment of just sitting there, she lets out a sigh.] So this months challenge, to talk about something personal. [Looks down at her hands and takes another deep breath.] This one is kinda hard for me. So if you stick around and bare with me til the end, I appreciate it. I fought with this for a bit after seeing the prompt because I wasn’t really sure I wanted the whole world to know. Not that I guess it really matters, but it’s not something I love talking about. But it’s something that’s been really prominent in my life and as much as I try to avoid it, which I know is bad too, I can’t. I’m at home right now in Conyers with my family, and actually it’s really hard being here right now. Not with my family, but because of the memories. and everything that kinda comes with it.
[Cassidy chews on her bottom lip for a moment, realizing she’s just sitting there, she lets it go and stops for a moment.] So just about three years ago, I was in a bad car accident. A car accident that took the life of my boyfriend at the time and injured me pretty badly. [She blinks hard, forcing the tears away for now.] It took a little bit for me to recover physically, and emotionally, I’m not recovered. I’m a lot better than I was before, but I know I still have a long way to go with that.
The hardest part about it all I’m coming to realize is, I never really got to mourn him. [She looks to the side, a little shocked by what she’d just said, not entirely sure where the words were coming from.] I’ve always felt really guilty about it, like it’s my fault, I was driving, and I didn’t see the car coming that hit us. The driver was drunk, and he ran the red light, I didn’t even see him coming. And maybe if I had… I should… [Cassidy shook her head, stopping herself from continuing with that.] The man driving the car should not have gotten into the car that night, and because of his stupid decision not only did he die, but he took the life of someone very important to me. And he hurt me in the process. So because of that, I never got the chance to say goodbye to Nick. I was out of it for a couple of days after the initial accident, and I wasn’t released from the hospital til a couple weeks after they held his memorial service.
[Cassidy took another deep breath, what she just said being the first time she had ever really put the blame on someone else. She had known that fact the entire time, and while it was in the back of her mind she had constantly thought she could have done something, that it was her fault.] And as guilty as I feel, as much as I feel like I should have been more aware and that I should have seen him coming and that it was my fault… I realize, I’m really angry. I’m angry that this guy ruined two lives completely, and severely impacted mine. [Cassidy looks to the side, what she’s saying sinking in that she actually feels it too.]
I miss him. [She says after another pause.] Which I know it’s normal and it doesn’t take away from anything else going on in my life right now, but it’s hard for me right now. I know I’ve got good things for me, great things actually, and I’m happy, but I do miss him. It is normal right? [Sighs] Which this what I’ve been working on. Or trying to work on in therapy. Which I’ve kinda been just letting happen, not really participating in as much as I should. Which I know doesn’t help, and I’ve got excuses left and right, but it needs to stop. So I’m going to stop it. [Gives a slight nod.] The last week actually wasn’t so bad, and I did put in an effort, which I think is what got me to realize I was angry more than anything right now, and after being home and thinking about it.
I’ve got some things I need to think about still, and to kinda process. I mean, I still feel the guilt I’ve been feeling, but I’m kinda realizing it’s not nearly as intense as it was. [Sighs.] I do, I feel a bit different, so I mean, I guess that’s good. But we’ll see. I just have to keep working on this, and I plan to. I’m not giving up, and I’m going to be better. This is something I’m going to be able to let go. [She feels tears welling up in her eyes, but a different kind of tears this time around. There were more hope in them then there had been before. Wiping at her cheeks a bit.] Mostly for me, but for everyone around me. It’s started impacting how I am with people I really care about and I hate that more than anything, that it’s had this hold over me so much.
It’s been tough, it’s still tough and I’m not done yet, I know I’ve got more ahead of me and it’s still not going to be easy. It’s been so far from easy, but I’m getting there. And this isn’t entirely what I intended to talk about. Well, I wasn’t sure where I was going with it, that I was just going to talk about, but it’s been good. This wasn’t that bad of an assignment. Well, I mean I dreaded it when I first saw it and clearly it’s taken me all month, but it turned out not as bad as I had envisioned. I thought for sure I was about to have a breakdown on camera or something. [A small smile forms on her lips a little bit.]
So I’m going to work on that stuff, and maybe next time this comes up I’ll have better news for you, or something. Who knows. [Her shoulders rise and fall a bit, but she can feel a different air about her. Feeling more optimistic than she had in the past, not sure where this had come from today, but feeling more positive about it overall.] So, one more thing before I go, make sure you go and check out my charity that I’m donating too. Bring awareness to it, donate, read about it. Do all three, don’t, but just do something. But this needs to be something that people are aware of. Drunk driving needs to be stopped. No one should have to go through this. So anything that can be done to help is wonderful.












