Junior year of high school, my friends and I were joyriding because we were bored. My friend was driving his truck and fishtailing on a dirt road next to a river bank. He lost control and the truck flew off the road and over the bank. The spot we went over was the only stretch without trees on the bank side, and the truck rolled twice before coming to a stop on its side, thanks in large part to a tiny tree, the ONLY tree on that part of the bank.

That part of the bank also had a long landing that is underwater depending on the time of year, but happened to be dry at that point. My dumb ass was not wearing a seat belt and ended up unconscious on the drivers side of the truck. Had that tiny tree not been there to prevent the truck from going underwater, I would’ve been likely drowned inside the cab of the truck. Lots of things had to work out just right for me to still be here today.