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By Brent Maze

On Monday, I remembered a day that changed my life. I know I wrote about this last year, but on June 16, 2022, I experienced a pretty severe car crash.

While I don’t remember too much about the wreck, I do remember the ambulance ride to the hospital in Meridian, getting stitched up in the emergency room while they figured out where I was going to go from there.

Once the decision was made to go to UAB Hospital, I remember that ambulance ride, and I definitely felt every pothole on I-20/59 and the downtown streets headed to Southside.

I also remember that it was the anniversary of the Vestavia Hills church potluck shooting, as I shared the ER that night with some of those victims.

While physically you may not be able to see too many scars, I still definitely was feeling the effect of the memory. I know I am no different than anyone else. Anyone who has experienced some kind of trauma always knows when the anniversary comes up.

For some, it might be a weather related issue. Jan. 12 is always a day that people in Selma will still remember exactly where they were when the EF-2 tornado struck right in downtown. The people of Plantersville are just now beginning to deal with the trauma of the EF-3 that struck there just three months ago.

Others are like me, they remember the day of their accident where they either lost a loved one, or they are lucky to still be here. And others could be other traumatic experiences

The feelings will never go away no matter what you do. Even if you have been through a lot of therapy to get through it, you may not ever truly get over it.

I had several family members reach out to me about the anniversary. I texted a few people close to me that remember June 16 well.

While I don’t know if I can necessarily help you, please reach out for help if the emotional and mental trauma is more than you can bear. Even if it’s not, it’s still good to have a friend to talk with about the issues.

Take care of yourself.

Brent Maze is the publisher of The Selma Times-Journal. He can be reached at brent.maze@selmatimesjournal.com.