Impediment of the Pathway

Yesterday I had a number of things get in the way of my path. It started in the morning as I drove to work. I merged onto I-285 and as I drove I saw a flash of orange dart across the highway. Upon realizing it was a man running across 4 lanes of traffic I hit the brakes as everyone else did. Fortunately, he was able to make it to the other side – to collect a tire and was then looking at a way to get back across traffic to the other side of the highway. Good luck at rush hour! I thought that one lousy tire was not worth running across the highway in rush hour traffic – risking one’s life and the other commuter’s lives. Right after that I merged onto I-85 and as I was doing so a truck was stopped on the shoulder and a man was walking towards me in the lane to get some part that was laying in the road. Had I not seen him in time I would have most assuredly hit him. Fortunately, my car was small enough I could actually miss the part and stay in the lane – all without hitting the man. Again, is some part, tire, thing lying in the road worth it?

Later, I was on a long run and the most difficult leg. The never-ending hill of Columbia drive. My legs were pumping and I was concentrating on my pace when suddenly a mouse darted out of the grass, ran across the sidewalk – me almost stepping on it – and then it continued across Columbia Drive. It made it across one lane and at this point I had to stop and cheer the little thing on because I heard and saw a very loud El Camino coming in the other lane the mouse is trying to cross. Silently I cheered for the mouse - “Go, go, go!” Just as the mouse looked like it was going to make it the El Camino flew by. I saw the mouse get knocked on it’s back from the wind of the car but it immediately scrambled back up and hopped the curb and disappeard into the grass. Yeah! It made it!

As I finished my run I thought about all the things – people, parts and mice that had crossed my path that day. They all made it but barely. I had no answer for why they were even there in the first place. All I know is that it’s a good thing I didn’t ride the motorcycle!