POST # 549
DEAD!!! I should be dead. Well, perhaps that is a little hyperbolic. But I certainly could have been dead. If not dead, then so smashed up that I probably would wish that I were dead. Wait a minute, isn't this blog mostly about house and pet sitting? That's true. But let me tell you the story about what happened just a few short days ago.
It was a rain-soaked day when this event took place, so I was wearing my bright yellow jacket, and carrying my large blue and white umbrella. In other words, I was very, very visible. The local shopping centre is about a ten minute walk from where I am currently pet sitting, so off I went. Getting there, requires walking across the highway which I have done on numerous occasions. As the traffic roared by, I pressed the button that activates the pedestrian crossing signal, and stood patiently, waiting for my turn to walk across the road.
The lights for the traffic turned red, the traffic came to a full stop, or so I thought, my light turned green, and I started my journey across the highway. There was a long line of stopped traffic in the lane closest to me, but there were no vehicles in the outside lane, or so it appeared. As I approached the outside lane, I looked to my left. What I saw was a truck barreling towards the crosswalk. I came to an abrupt stop in front of the vehicles in the inside lane, and began pumping my umbrella up and down, while frantically waving my arms, in order to get the driver's attention. I was so close to his truck, that I had a very, very clear view of the driver. And what struck me was the look upon his face. As he continued through the crosswalk, he appeared to be totally oblivious to the fact that he was driving through the red light. I am very sure that he didn't see me, the crosswalk, the red light or even the stopped traffic on his right. After he blew through the intersection, I looked at the people in the car that was stopped in front of me, and I could tell by their expressions, that they were as stunned as I was. We all shook our heads in disbelief, and I continued my walk to the other side of the highway, unharmed.
Now, I've had many close calls with death over the years, and this is just the most recent one. My good luck continues. But this latest incident got me to thinking about why I hadn't kept walking without looking to my left, as I automatically had done. The best answer that I can come up with, is that during my very early years, it would have been my mom or dad that had taught me what to do, and later on, my sisters would have continued with my street crossing education. I guess that being the youngest of the family had its advantages, at least in this department. So thanks to all of them for the great education.
As far as the subject of death goes, I like this quote from none other than Mark Twain.
I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.”
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The final topic for today's post is one about the date, being the "date guy" that I am known for. Thirty-two years ago, I received my pilot's license, so I thought that I would include a photo of it here.
That's enough writing for today. It's sunny outside, so it would be a good time to go for a bike ride, and enjoy the warmth of the day. Next week, I'll get back to talking about my four-legged furry friends.
grateful for every breath,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
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