How I Totaled My Car and You Get a Blogging Webinar

Dec 9, 2008
65 Comments

Before I even knew what was happening, my Jeep slid on black ice on Vermont’s I-89. Adrenaline washed over me. The Jeep spun around backwards and flipped onto the driver side as it sledded down the ditch and slammed into the rock wall of the mountain. “Oh God, oh FUCK,”  was all I had time to scream. I heard the sounds of scraping and breaking branches. I thought, This is it… and waited for my legs to be crushed, my stomach to be pierced, or my head to slam into something.

All motion ceased. The sound of the heater blowing seemed really loud. I was on my side. The driver’s side of the jeep was resting on the ground. I still breathed. I looked at my hands. They were still there. I didn’t feel any pain anywhere. Could this be? Am I unscathed? I looked: legs and arms still there. Nothing sticking out of me. No blood.

Not even a scratch. I called 911. I called my wife (the call she has been dreading for years, except luckily it wasn’t made by a state trooper). I called work. The EMT’s, fire department, and state police showed up. They stabilized the vehicle.

I crawled out the back hatch, and walked away.

I went to the hospital anyway to get checked out (there was nothing they could do about me being a blogger, but otherwise, I was fine). Took a cab home. Hugged my wife and cried a little at what could have been.

Then it hit me: that was my only car. My bills are paid up current, but there’s nothing extra for emergencies like this. We’ve been on a very long road to recovery after a bankruptcy a few years ago. If it wasn’t for my diversified online income streams, we would’ve gone under a while ago.

Suddenly, I have winch and towing fees. I have a rental car bill. I have no idea what my car repair bill will be or even if the Jeep (1996, over 200k miles) is salvageable. I have the feeling this is probably going to be a “technical total”, where the cost of the repairs will be too great compared to the value of the vehicle. No doubt there will be other expenses popping up as unpleasant surprises. I have to get a car at the worst possible time, and that means I need a money boost… fast. As in, like, NOW.

So here’s what I did earlier today: I put a donations link up on Twitter, and explained as best as I could the situation. People have responded, and I’m very touched (overwhelmed is more like it, but I’ll give that topic its own well-deserved post in a few). I came up with a way to pay it forward, so now I’m taking this from Twitter to the blog.

Free (or Donation) Live, No-Holds-Barred Blogging Webinar

If you donate to my “get back on the road for the holidays” fund in any amount large or small, you will help me out and get something good in return. You get a good feeling, but perhaps better yet: I am going to hold a live blogging webinar on Ustream.

This Friday evening, starting at 8pm Eastern time, I’m going to rock it and go until we poop out. You can attend even if you haven’t donated, and you can donate without attending. I will record the event, so that if you’d like to donate but can’t make the time, you can watch it later.

Here are some of the topics we’ll cover:

  • Choosing a blog niche and doing keyword research
  • Choosing post topics and SEO
  • Getting comments
  • Increasing traffic
  • Social media
  • Sneak peek at SEO-Nomicon

Anything goes, but we’ll at least touch on most of these. The cool thing about Ustream is that you ask questions via chat. I highly recommend you sign up for a free Ustream account so it will be easier to identify you. I will answer any questions I can. Nothing is off the table. I will not hold back any secrets. This is no-holds-barred hardcore blogging info.

Let me stress this seminar is my gift to you and donations appreciated, but are not required. And even if you choose to donate, you can donate any amount, large or small.

Why Donations?

Aren’t I supposed to be rich or something? LOL, hardly. I’m not poor. I’m not losing my job. I have food on my table and I have heat for my house. I am not destitute. But I’m not rich. I never said I was. That $1k I made last month went to bills and heating oil. My head is above the water. It just so happens that the timing of things right now is very unfortunate: I had a car accident right at the moment I couldn’t afford to have a car accident. (If I ever get rich, I’ll let you know ;) .)

I suppose I could try and come up with some kind of scheme to sell you something, either in advance or some kind of sloppy, slapped-together product, but I don’t work that way. That wouldn’t be right. What’s maddening is that I am very close to launching my next product, a complete course on search engine optimization for WordPress blogs, called SEO-Nomicon. But a proper launch has to be done right. SEO-Nomicon will launch very soon… possibly within days.

I’m doing this because… well, because I didn’t die today. Like I said, I’m in a bind and need to raise fast cash. I want to offer you something of intense value in exchange for your donation, and I hope you think that’s fair.


Link for the Webinar

The live show will be on Ustream.tv: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/remarkablogger-live

If you’re on my email list, Remarkanotes, you’ll get a reminder.

  • I'm really sorry to hear about your accident, i hope you get well soon and sorry i can't make a donation as i'm having a big debt (well not quite big) and i have to pay for my taxes which i extend it for 2 month. Really really sorry michael..
  • @Catharine - Thanks very much!

    @Kelly - We've already communicated by email, but your public comment deserves a public thank you, as well, so thank you! :)

    @Sandi - I'm so sorry to hear you lost your husband to an accident. Even before this, I always give my wife a hug and a kiss and tell her I lover when I leave to go anywhere. Even if it's just out for a quick errand. Because you never know when it will be the last time you see someone you love more than anything.

    @Jamie - Thanks, buddy! :)

    @Daryle - LOL, I haven't heard that was what Jeep stood for. And no, I wasn't video blogging. That would've been pretty stupid. Although it would've made for some pretty dramatic footage.
  • In my Jeeping days I learned that JEEP stands for Just Empty Every Pocket. In your case I am happy to hear it did not mean Just Empty Every Pint.

    I donated the profits from my very first sale on Etsy. It is not much but I hope that it helps.

    At least you weren't video blogging when it happened. I remember the one you did while driving in the rain. Be careful out there.
  • Glad you were uninjured. I was in a similar accident many years ago, very scary indeed. Donation on the way!
  • Mike,

    I read about the accident and I am so happy for you & yours that you are okay.

    Having lost my husband/bestest friend in a car accident a little over two years ago, I can truly appreciate the value of being able to walk away. All I can say is don't ever leave home without telling your wife and kids that you love them. You never know when it might be your last chance. My kids and I have found comfort in the fact that the last words we heard from my husband were "I love you."

    Now, walk over to your wife and give her an extra good hug & kiss! You have no idea how much she would have missed just that kind of simple little thing had you not been able to just walk away unharmed!

    And I'll see you at the webinar tonight! I can't wait...
  • Michael,

    I'm late to the party (and I sent a personal note with a little bit of help for your fund) but I just wanted to say I am so very glad you are here to write about it. My father did the same thing on a smaller Vermont road in January. Reading your account gave me chills all over.

    I second James—it brought out the best in your writing! Hidden bonus!

    Regards,

    Kelly
  • WOW! I am very glad that you are not hurt. I look forward to your webinar recording and will make a small donation w/in the next couple of days. Good luck on your new product and with your efforts to recover.

    My best to you and your family!

    Catherine Ford
    aka @15MinutesADay on Twitter
  • @Mike: Thanks, I will. I grew up back east so I know exactly what you're taking about ;)
  • @Harry - Smart man. We're used that kind of weather here. I've been driving in snow my whole life. It's a really scary thought to be in a place where people have almost no experience in winter weather driving... and then you get snow. Even an inch of snow just messes everybody up (and we would laugh at that here). It's not exactly bike weather. You stay safe.
  • @Mike: The last time was in 2003 and it's kind of ironic you should be writing about a car accident because that was the year I dropped my bike on Tropicana during morning rush hour.

    I walked away from that one, too. Not a scratch on the bike either. But I'll tell you what, out of all those businessmen in the cars behind me, only one person got out to see if I was okay. And that person was a woman and a H.O.G. member (Harley Owners Group).

    So anyway, yeah, snow on the Strip due this week. Will I be going out? Hell no. these people out here can't drive in the rain let alone the snow.
  • @Harry - That's kind of unusual, isn't it? Don't hear of snow in Vegas too often.
  • @Mike: Just don't plan on moving to Vegas this week. We're actually expecting snow in the valley.
  • @Kathy - Heh... we're thinking about moving a little further South, ourselves. There's much to love, here, even about winter, but you know, there comes a time when you have to ask why are you putting up with this.

    I'm very happy your daughter and her friends were unharmed. As you can see by the other comments, many of us have been in similar situations. I find it amazing it can happen so much and some people just walk away (and some don't). I keep replaying the whole thing in my mind and there are so many ways in which this could turned out horrible... but it didn't.

    I feel a renewed sense of determination out of this, to say the least. Stuff like this changes you, and I'm sure I'm changing in ways I don't even know about at the moment.
  • One more comment:
    Thank you for your honesty and integrity to ask for what your need. Most of us don't have the cajones or the humility to do this.
  • kathy
    Michael
    Things do not happen by accident. As I was reading your blog, my husband was driving I-89 from Burlington headed to Rouses Point, NY today in the snow. I lived in this area for about three years before I couldn't take the cold any longer and moved south closer to my birthplace. My husband, however, lived there 20+ years and misses the cold and snow. When we lived there, my oldest daughter had a similar experience. She lost control of my Explorer on some black ice while driving in Canada and totaled my car. Miraculously, she and four of her friends walked away from a totaled car with no injuries at all! I know what you are going through. The positive in all this is that I did get a new car that I still have and love! we can't think abut the "what could have been." It will make us crazy. focus on what is now - you are alive an well. The Jeep can be replaced.
  • @Jean - I am already a AAA member. That's how I got a discount on the car rental. :-) I wasn't in their super-deluxe program, but anybody out here isn't right in the head if they're not in AAA. :)

    @Graham - Awesome, man, thanks! Hope you can make it to the webinar tomorrow!
  • Very scary, Michael. I've done my share of winter driving, even put the car in a ditch a few times, so I have an inkling of the horror you must have experienced. It's amazing you walked away from something like that!

    Sending something your way later today.

    ~Graham
  • Hi Michael,
    So glad you survived intact and looking forward to the webinar. One suggestion: Join AAA! It's pretty cheap and they pay for towing. Worth it.
  • @Harry, that's alright, man. I'm just happy to be here. Your help is much appreciated! If you can make it to the webinar, that would be awesome (as soon as you dig yourself out from under than huge pile of work!).
  • Damn, Mike! Sorry I'm late, didn't check my feed yesterday and *someone* forgot to tell me *glances at James* ;)

    Good to hear you walked away from it in one piece. Cars are replaceable. You aren't.

    Consider my contribution on the way.
  • @Jamie - Thank you! :)
  • @Susan - Thank you for the well-wishes! It's interesting that you're using the word "reality". I try to always deal with reality as much as I can without illusions (harder than you think).

    Sometimes the going gets rough. That's life. You don't get any promises or guarantees. Safety is an illusion. It is those times when you can help others the most and when you may need to hope you can count on the help of others.
  • Hey Michael,

    If you were here, I'd give you a hug. So glad you are okay. Quite the harrowing tale. How does it feel to have reality reach up and wallop you right in the kisser? Yeow! Not so good. Here's to a safe(r) holiday season for you and all your subscribers.

    Susan
  • Been then, done the sideways in the road thing. Scary. Glad you're ok.
  • My wife is the best. She is my best friend and in many ways my business partner. Wouldn't trade that for anything. :)
  • If only you were not married!!
  • @Jim - Wow, dude! That was something. I'm glad to hear you're lovin' it in Costa Rica. If that picture in your post was any indication, the women there ARE beautiful.
  • Michael, thanks for telling me about the search. I had Lijit, but removed it after following some of your twits. I had been experiencing some slowness. Anyway, I forgot to put a search back. That is fixed.

    Here is the link to my post you were probably looking for. It has the picture of my accident, if you look closely you will see that I came through the side of the garage and on top of a Camaro! Uh, Mint Condition Camaro, I had to pay for.

    http://www.thejimgaudet.com/blog/archives/188

    ~ Jim
  • @Cath - You know what's funny is that my wife and I were talking about this tonight. When I called her on my mobile from inside the car after calling 911, she said that I said the car could probably be righted and that I could just drive it right out of there. But as it turns out, the frame is completely bent up on it and it's totaled.
  • cathlawson
    Hi Michael - what a huge shock for you. Looking at that pic - it's a miracle you are alive, never mind unscathed.

    I will make a donation and also I'll try to stay up for the webinar but I think I'm five hours behind you.

    You never know, hopefully the car will be fixable. I rolled mine a few years ago and the insurers said another £50 of damage and it would have been a right off. But even if it is repairable, I guess it will take a while.
  • @Brett - Thanks, no chest-burster scenes, yet.

    I finally figured out the phone picture thing so I could get the one picture I shot of it from the ambulance.
  • Michael,

    Glad to hear that you are okay (alien infestations aside, but don't worry, you'll get used to that!)

    I'll do what I can to lend a hand...

    Take care of you and yours,

    -Brett
  • @Kelly - Thanks!

    @Phao - "bypass death" I kinda like that. :)

    @Bill - Thanks! You know, I imagined it a million times in the past. I think we all do that. Of course, the reality is completely different.

    @James - Yeah, I cracked my knuckles good before this one. I was inspired by how Brian wrote about his snowboarding accident.

    As far as asking for help, I honestly didn't know what else to do. I know many people would help me expecting nothing in return or because I had already helped them in some way, but I knew I could turn this into a win-win for everyone. It's not strictly a fee, since anyone will be able to watch the webinar, but I wanted to provide something worthy of value.

    It's interesting what you say about helping friends. That is all this is. Anybody could look at my life and say I do not deserve to receive donations like a starving child in Haiti should, and they would be absolutely right. But who doesn't help a friend in need? What goes around comes around.

    Thanks, James. :)

    @Alex - Sounds like you had a life-changing event there, my friend. I don't know how much I will change as a result of this. We'll see.

    @Mark - The snow is both blessing and curse. Without it this wouldn't have happened at all, but the snow also cushioned the blow. It's amazing how often this really happens. Thank you.

    @Janice - Thank you! Hug and donation humbly and gladly accepted. Looking forward to your question (I'm going to set up something to take questions in advance, so keep an eye out for that.)

    @Jim - So sorry to hear about your friend Tom. I-89 truly is dangerous in bad weather. I went to search on your blog for your own story, but there is no search! :) Consider using Google custom search or Lijit search. :)

    @Richard - Totally cool, man. Like I said, donations are not necessary to attend the webinar.

    For a '96 vehicle with over 200k miles on it, we felt collision insurance was an excessive expense (which we think differently about now, as you can imagine). We only had liability insurance.

    Hope to see you at the webinar! :)

    @Patrick - Congrats on your affiliate sales, man, that's great! I appreciate that you can give!

    @Andrea - Oh no! Sorry to hear about your job. :( But good on you for refocusing your dreams. :) Now's as good a time as any -- maybe better.

    Now that the adrenaline has worn off, I'm finding I have some soreness in my arm, shoulder, and neck. Nothing some Advil won't help.

    @Valerie - Now, now, you don't have to send a thing. But please watch the seminar if you can (if you can't see it live, you can watch it later).

    @Elain - LOL, no. And thanks. :)

    @Easton - Thanks, man. I'm glad to be alive, and my wife is glad she's only making arrangements to figure out a car situation instead of making funeral arrangements.

    @Everyone - I'm going to try and get some pictures up soon, and set up an advance question thing for the webinar. I'll also write a big huge gratitude post, but every single person who has donated has heard back from me personally, either by email or Twiiter direct message (or both). I am overwhelmed by the kindness shown to me, but more on that later!

    The original plan I had for this week is kinda shot at this point. Stay tuned.
  • Michael, I'm sorry man. I can only imagine what it must feel like.

    Thank heavens you've got your health and your life, and you've got a great community of us friends who want to see you succeed.

    You'll make it happen! Let me know if I can help in any way.
  • Michael, apparently I missed your tweets yesterday. I'm so relieved you're OK with no bodily harm. Cars can be replaced, you cannot. As James Chartrand said, your blog post had me riveted. If there's anything I can do to help, in addition to a donation, please let me know.

    Blog on (I know you will!)
  • Glad you're okay. But I hope you're not going to be following the Naomi school of crisis-as-marketing as a general practice.
  • Michael, sorry about your accident but I'm glad that you're ok. Our finances are extremely tight right now (husband still not working) but I'll send something.

    BTW - Oh God and Oh F___ don't go together in the same sentence. :)
  • Michael,

    Thank goodness you're OK. You're probably still pumping the adrenaline through, eh? :)

    Since I found out yesterday that my job is going bye bye, I'm going to need to seriously refocus on my dreams and one of those is my site. I'll be there.

    A
  • Glad to hear you are okay, Michael. I've learned a lot from your blog tips and credit you as one of the reasons I became an affiliate for the Thesis Theme, which has earned me some extra money over the past couple of months. I'm truly grateful that I am able to donate some of that money to help you out. Best of luck to you.
  • Michael,

    I am glad you are OK and hope that you manage to get through this problem without too much hardship. I'm not in a position to be able to donate, other than my good wishes.

    I take it from your request that your insurance doesn't cover these expenses, or even the repair/replacement costs for the car which is a shame.
  • BTW - I crashed my car into a garage in Claremont, NH. Had me in the hospital for 3 months. I blogged about it if you ever want to read it.

    Did you get any pictures of your accident? Were you in the paper?
  • Hey, I89 is dangerous. Especially with those mountains. I had my friend die last year on I89. I am sure you read about it in the paper. His name was Tommy. (We haven't forgot you Tom!).

    Anyway, sending the donation now. I hope you get a good feedback from this. Would you mind if I created a post about this and tracked back to you?
  • Michael,
    Virtual hug. Glad you are safe. Donation coming your way. Wish I could send more. I have a question already in mind for the blogging wizard. ;-)
    All best to you and yours,
    Jan
  • I had one of those "oh shit!" moments as well when I went off the road a few years ago. I was very lucky: not only was I unhurt, but the car was barely damaged as it had slid down a snowbank. I was able to keep driving the car for at least two more years without major difficulties.

    Still, I can empathize a bit for what you must have been feeling in that moment when you weren't sure what the heck was about to happen.

    Best wishes on moving past this.
  • Oh wow! I'm glad to hear you're okay. I had one of those accidents last year - 9am on the busiest highway in the area. I hit ice and started spinning. I just let go of the wheel and said "that's it."

    I then somehow spun across three lanes of traffic without hitting anyone, slammed into the guardrail facing traffic and slid halfway up the exit ramp.

    I was fine, the 17 year old car was fixable, but not worth doing so.

    I cut back my work hours and focused on writing and blogging instead of teaching English.

    And I thanked my lucky stars for my practice of driving with an "air cushion" of non-traffic around me.
  • I have to say that cheating death has certainly brought out your storytelling techniques (hey, putting my last Copyblogger post to good use!), because you had me riveted from the first sentence.

    Also, your honesty and your ability to ask for help are worthy of commendation. It's not easy to stand there and say, "I need help," but you did it and on your blog.

    Without wanting to sound cold, I would much rather help a friend get back on his feet than donate to a huge faceless organization. And I hope that one day, if I ever face circumstances that put me in a bind, I'll have the courage to do what you just did.

    Good on you, Michael. Donation coming your way.
  • Michael --

    Glad to hear you're OK. Reading your description of the accident was harrowing--I can't imagine actually experiencing it.

    I'll see if I can throw a few bucks your way. Keep up the good work!

    WLW
  • Come here from your tweet. It's really interesting to learn how you bypass the death from the accident.
  • Michael - I'm just glad you're ok. I celebrate that with you and your family!
  • @Debi - that's a great tradition! You are so right about recovery. I can't imagine the pain and suffering families must go through when there is injury and financial hardship. What I'm going through is nothing compared to that. I am very blessed to have such great friends.

    @April - Me too! Amazed, that is. I am watching for signs of injury or alien infestation. The webinar on Friday is gonna rock!
  • I love Jeeps but they scare me.

    I'm happy (and amazed) that you weren't injured. Just take it easy because you might be a little sore over the next few days.

    I should be able to attend the webinar on Friday so I'll "see" you then.
  • Debi
    I enjoy a seasonal tradition of giving away a handful of $20 bills sometime during December. While I usually indulge deserving faces between a couple of stops on public bus, trustworthy online opportunities work, too.

    I'm glad you were able to walk away unharmed and that you won't have to miss work or focus on healing rather than creating your new product. Recovering financially is probably easier than recovering physically, and it's certainly easier than trying to do both simultaneously.

    Best wishes to you and yours...
  • Thanks, Pelf! Everyone will be able to watch it later. :)
  • I am so sorry to learn about the accident, Michael, but I am glad that you cheated death and escaped unhurt!

    Your honesty today -- in explaining why you are collecting donations instead of "coming up with some kind of sloppy, slapped-together product" -- has earned my respect even more.

    I will make a small donation, but I will not be able to attend the event :( But I'd love to watch the video later the event! :D
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