To say goodbye
to those and that you love, and head off into the unknown, is a huge and painful thing, that most just can’t do.
It takes a specific type to be a road warrior, and I have done so now for so long that I do not remember any other life. I know I’ll be back, as do the ones I love. Wild horses could not keep me from returning to those other pieces of my heart.
Still, sunday night as I loaded my bag in the truck and pulled out of the driveway I thought of those other road warriors who never made it home. Secure in the knowledge that their own beds were just a couple hours of annoying airline flight away, their worlds were destroyed as they looked on in horror.
Human life is not precious except to it’s lovers and posessors. To those who don’t care, life is worthless and precarious.
So as I drove in the gathering dark, I prayed for all those road warriors who never made it home. I prayed that the stupidity that caused their deaths would be obliterated from the world.
I know better than that, of course. Stupidity is far more abundant in the universe than Hydrogen. Nothing will stop it, it may even be an intrinsic component of entropy.
None of that knowledge makes me want for it not to stop, though. A guy has to have dreams. And a lone road warrior, on deserted country backroads in the middle of Indiana, well, sometimes dreams are enough.
12 comments Og | Uncategorized
It may be true that without Mr. Hyde the Matrix would reject you. But it would be good to see more of Dr. Jekyll, like today.
If stupidity is intrinsic to entropy, then that suggests that ignoramuses are entropy’s flashers.
I learned a lesson in 2008. Told the wife “See ya in about an hour.” Climbed on the bike–and got home 3 months later, having nearly lost a leg (nearly my life, for that matter–I almost bled out).
Now, I never, EVER leave without kissing her goodbye.
Budd: Damned sound advice.
Stay safe.
Since 1995 been on the road between 60 and 100 days a year. Still sucks ass. Mighta chosen a different path, had I known better.
Amen
Q
190 days a year here… World-wide, and can’t believe I’m this stupid… No home life, just a few friends and shooting :-) But your point is well taken. There but for the grace of God go us.
I knew that 100 was not hard core, but 190. Damn
NFO, it’s tough and it can be a mean life, but God only gives the tough jobs to the tough people, I guess. Lesser people than you or Brigid would never cut it.
Yeah, it’s tough being a road warrior. One of my cousins (son of my first cousin, late Uncle’s daughter), was in NYC on business this weekend (how ironic), and his family history of heart trouble caught up to him. We’re planting him here in Portland tomorrow.
He was 44. I watched him grow up from a little tyke, because they lived in my patrol district.
Shalom, David.
You take care of yourself out there, Og. These Intartubes would be a lot less smart without you.
Well, I ‘am’ known as an asshole :-) rivrdog, sorry to hear of your loss…
I did it for about ten years, and that was enough. I was almost always within 500 miles of home and I almost always drove. Doing all that driving – especially when it’s off of the interstate – would sometimes lull me into daydreams. During one of these drives, it occurred to me just how close I was to vehicles whizzing by in the oposite direction on a two-lane road. I came to the realization that the only thing keeping our two vehicles apart was a modicum of respect for the double-yellow line and, possibly, for life itself. No more daydreams for the rest of that day, I’ll tell ya.