Wrecked railcars sit in a lot in Rennsalear, Indiana on a cold December 24th, 2017 morning. The train derailed after a wheel broke and threw cars around like toys. It was a sight I thought I'd never see 2 days prior. I had just finished helping a friend move, swapped my truck out for my grandpas, and decided to see what was left on my way back to Lafayette.

This was the day I got disowned by my mom later in the day also. Part of the reason was the fact I went to check on my friend up in Rennsalear. She doesn't understand that I took all precautions I possibly could have to keep me safe while I was looking for him, which I can thank my time as a groundman for helping me identify hazardous material placards. There's other reasons also, but I'd rather not go into detail about them as they bring out bad memories. Needless to say, it's the worst Christmas present I received and I came home as a broken man to my grandparents in tears.