I have been thinking about the following incident for a few days now:
It was about 10 years ago at about 7:00am in the morning. I was driving down Baseline Avenue on my way to work when something caught my eye. As I looked to my left, I saw a truck that had crashed into a light post. At this moment time froze. There was a stillness, my mind was quiet. It was obvious that that the driver of the vehicle had died on impact. I will never forget how his face looked smashed up against the steering wheel.
I didn't stop. I continued to drive to work.
I heard the fire engine coming towards the scene of the accident. Initially I reasoned that I would be late for work. However, the real reason was that I could not handle seeing death that close. I have never forgotten the man, nor the images from that day. I looked in the newspaper the following day to find out more about the man. Who was he? Where was he going? Who did he leave behind?
I have never been at peace with my decision to not stop and at least wait with the man until the ambulance/police arrived. I would hope that someone would do the same for me in the event of my demise.
And so here I am years later, reminiscing about a man that didn't know I existed. I am faced with the reality that there is life, and there is death. Sometimes it is very sudden, and rather than be afraid, I should accept it as something that will meet me sooner or later.