Olga A. (SLE) - On the need for movement and active action

I take risks everywhere. By and large, I’m always taking risks. The state that comes with it—“walking on a razor’s edge”—is a standard state for me in life; without it, it’s boring. I’m comfortable in that state. I feel very uncomfortable when things start to drift: life flows slowly, I bog down, I feel bad.

I always feel confident on the road. As for speed—after you almost get hit head-on by an oncoming semi truck, you start driving properly. Once I was in a hurry, driving on a slippery road; I’d put on different tires, but my habits were from the old ones. I went for a double overtake. There were two trucks ahead of me, and there was a downhill stretch.

And in that situation I saw a semi track coming toward me from below the slope. When I started braking, the car went into a skid. Luckily, the second truck ahead of me slowed down; I steered out of the skid and squeezed in between the two of them. I wasn’t grabbed by panic; I exhaled and that was it.

My neighbor was grabbed by it. Three trucks around you, and you’re in a Zhiguli “tenth model” flying into a head-on collision. After that I realized that five minutes aren’t worth risking your life.