As everyone experienced Covid-19, we all know about staying six feet, not leaving your house, and laying in bed the entire day. Probably the worst year of my life. I like to blame Covid on my driving skills because I couldn't go anywhere. If you had a Covid birthday I'm so sorry I feel bad for you. That's when the birthday parades came along and everyone loved them. My best friend’s eighteenth birthday was in the middle of the pandemic so we threw a surprise birthday parade for her. At this time I was driving my 1966 Ford Mustang in the parade following my other friend Emma with her 1970 El Camino. Understanding how to drive in a parade is pretty simple , Emma doesn't know how the process works.

          Emma and I are like about six cars down the line right behind each other, honking, blasting music, and having the fun we can while we celebrate my best friend's eighteenth birthday. We’re starting to get closer to her driveway where she's standing and Emma decides to stop in the middle of the parade to take a picture of the birthday girl. I don't notice that she stops because I'm still honking, blasting music, and waving at the birthday girl with my head facing her. Since I was unaware that she had stopped I ran into her back end full force on accident. Right when we collided my car turned off, her car turned off and I'm thinking There is no way this just happened right now Emma’s music was blasting so loud she didn't even notice she just got hit and the back end of her car was bent all the way in. She turns her car back on after she notices that it's off and continues the parade laughing and smiling because she sees me stopped in the middle of the parade.

She yells out of her window “WHAT HAPPENED???? KEEP GOING!!!” At this point, I have tears coming down my face because of how bad I feel for the birthday girl but also because of my car. I get out of my car and I look around, and nothing is
wrong with it at all. I then look at Emma's car and her tailgate is bent inwards and ruined badly. Now, my emotions are all over the place and I don't know how to feel. I'm happy my car isn't ruined, I'm embarrassed that I ruined the parade, I'm laughing because everyone else is and Emma didn't even realize, and I'm crying because I feel bad for the birthday girl and for Emma's car.
My best friend's dad comes over and says “Ciera what happened girl ?”

I respond in tears “I just hit Emma because she stopped right in front of me”

He starts dying laughing and says “Of course it was you two not paying attention”

I start laughing and crying.
          Sofia’s dad has coached me in sports ever since I was little, so he's familiar with how much I pay attention. After the car crash that occurred cars started to go around me and keep celebrating her birthday. I’m still embarrassed. I told myself after it all happened that I should probably start paying attention when I drive. I also realized that fords are built stronger and better than a chevy. A lot of people might disagree with that but I have proof and many witnesses that it's true. I wouldn't consider this situation a major car crash where someone gets hurt, but we both jerked our bodies when I hit her. It didn’t hurt me but it shocked me and I was scared for that one second then I was fine. I hope that is the last time that I don't pay attention but also someone stops right in front of me while I drive.
 
           Growing up I used to go with my dad to car shows and that is what got me into loving old cars. Walking by all of those old cars I used to tell everyone You're going to see me driving an El Camino or a Chevelle when I'm older. As days went on I started to fall out of love with both of those cars and a Mustang was growing on me. My parents ended up picking out a 1966 white mustang for me when I was in eighth grade. It needed so much work done to it so I started working on it with my dad and my grandpa. Finished up all the work by the time I was a sophomore in highschool ready to drive, and that was my high school car. I am proud to say that a Mustang is better than an El Camino.