life is short

I thought I was a goner.

I drove up over the mountain the other morning going to Jasper. Just past the lookout and down the mountain, I came around a curve and up ahead could see a tree halfway across the road and blue lights flashing on the other side of the tree. I started slowing down with plenty of time to stop before reaching the tree, when suddenly my eyes were drawn from the scene ahead of me down to the road right in front of my car, and right before I heard the bump-bump of my tires running over it, I had a quick glimpse of the power line laying in the road.

It all happened so fast, I made it over the downed line with thoughts running through my head of thank-you-rubber-tires and the sound in my ears of the whoop-whoop by the police car siren. My heart was in my throat as I went around the tree and the policeman.

Suddenly it hit me, what just happened? it could have been MY TIME. Wow, am I ready? Are my affairs in order? Is my house clean?

On the way down the mountain I met a firetruck and a power company bucket truck and another police car. I took deep breaths to calm myself down. I made myself think back to what the line on the road looked like, realizing it was silver/gray stranded wire, so it was probably just a guy wire. But it sure gave me a virtual shock.

Life is short. Or it can be. You never know.

~poster Holstee Manifesto
~ my photo of mountains near here