My awakening had started when I had first leaned how to drive, this was the biggest awakening of my life and has also been a life lesson as well. I began in the car right after I had gotten my G2 license in Brampton, Ontario. I took the day off school just to get it to. I was with my mom and it was like any other summer day, hot and dry with blue sky's. After I had gotten my license, I felt as if I was on top of the world, excited to be able to drive anywhere I want, to the movies or even to stay over at a party and drive myself home in the morning, what a life. I was on top of the world; well that was what I though. I clearly was an idiot.


I left after getting my license with my mom in the car with the window down, music blasting as loud as it could be and me with my left arm out the window, driving twenty mph over the speed limit. 'What are you thinking right now Troy?' My mom had lost it on me. I had made her scared out of her mind, now she was going to think I was a crazy driver and she wouldn't be able to trust me if I wanted to go out by myself. So I took it easy the rest of the way home, just doing it because I had to. I really just wanted to fly as fast as I could down the highway.

The day had come when my mom had let me and my buddies take the truck to hockey practice. I remember that night, it was about 9:00 p.m. on a Tuesday, a school night, just a regular practice. Driving down the good old country road to pick up my buddies, I felt untouchable', it was a great feeling. With nothing in my sight but the dirt road ahead to the next concession, I was al most there to pick him up until a little raccoon jumped out into the road; I had jumped on the breaks to avoid the dumb thing running across the road. With my tail end swerving, I grabbed control and just ran over the raccoon; it was a choice I had to make. If I had slammed the breaks I would have been in the ditch hugging a tree. I kept on driving pretending that nothing just happened, being all cool about it.


After picking up my two friends from their houses, off we went on out way to practice. We were about 20 minutes away from the rink, and as late as could be. Again, feeling like I was on top of the world, i stepped on that pedal and put it to the floor on this straight away country road that would lead us right to the rink, with nobody in sight, it was a great feeling. Thank god we ended up getting to rink safe, I was blessed by god, and stupid me not thinking about what would happen to my friends. We walk into the dressing room with the music again load as can be, everyone all fired up, until 10 minutes later, before we get on the ice, the coach stops the music and puts his head down. We all have no idea what is going on, he looks up with a tear in his eye and explains to us that our goal Michael has just been hit by another vehicle. In this car there was 4 teenagers smoking drugs and driving at high speeds. The entire team was speechless, and I didn't want to drive home. I didn't want to drive again period.

Two days later we get a call from our coach letting us now that Michael has past away. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, about 1 minute away from the rink. He told us that the funeral was going to be held tomorrow, and then hung up. This was the turning point of my driving career. I can now say I have lost a best friend in a car accident just because of speeding. This was my awakening and I will never forget about it for the rest of my life. Every time I strap on my seatbelt, I will be thinking about Michael. This is my awakening.