They were loading a man into an ambulance, his rotund, pale belly naked to the bitter cold morning. Flashing lights, grey skies and me, mute witnesses to the day his world changed.
His life flashed outside my car window and imprinted itself on my retinas. Long after the red and yellow flashing faded from my rear window the image of the man clung to the inside of my lids.
Today I will go to work, eat lunch, laugh with my coworkers, and pretend that I didn't see what might be the end of someone's life.
While my day is like every other day, his day has been altered forever.
I can't express how that makes me feel. The sorrow that he is suffering, the helplessness in that I am only a fly on his wall today, and the relief that this time, it wasn't my family, my life, my day, that will be forever changed.
Life is just a tenuous state of being, mortality, our checkmate.
Today I was reminded how quickly it can slip through your fingers.
I'm not sure I'm grateful.
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Your Mother had this to say:
Wow, profound. Makes us think that is for sure.
Michele sent me today.- 9:14 AM, March 08, 2006
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Purring had this to say:
Proving once again, life is far too short.
- 6:35 AM, March 09, 2006
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Bill C had this to say:
Dark moments like these can turn into positive encouragement, to treasure each day.
Sobering indeed.- 9:49 AM, March 13, 2006
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Carl V. Anderson had this to say:
Nicely put. I remember a few years ago when my dad and sister were in serious condition in a hospital after someone slammed into their car. I practically lived in the hospital for a week and remember looking out the window watching people scurry around living their lives oblivious to the pain going on all around me in that building. I of course swore that I would never forget that and would live life much better...but we do forget...and maybe that is a mercy in and of itself, but it is occasionally good to be reminded that it is important to really live life and not just wander aimlessly through it.
- 1:22 PM, March 14, 2006
