Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Ten Seconds

Last night I was informed that a friend of mine, a fellow bowler, died in a fatal head-on collision this past Friday. His name was Mark and, amongst his many traits, he was known for being impatient. As I understand it, he tried to pass in a non-passing stretch of a local road. Sadly, I was told that if he had waited ten more seconds he would have reached the part of that highway where it turns to four lanes. Ten seconds between life and death.

Mark was 35 and had four children, the youngest is only six years old. I got to meet this little boy two weeks ago when Mark brought him to the bowling center. Mark was an avid bowler, passionate about every frame, always seeking to be a better player. He was a great conversationalist and it was always a pleasure to talk with him; he would usually challenge you to think in different ways. Mark was tall and strong and had a quick, warm smile. He will be dearly missed.

This has reminded me that we need to slow down, to spend a few extra seconds on the road so that we can spend many more years with family and friends. And it also highlighted the fact that we need to be aware of everything and everyone around us as we drive -- we cannot be too cautious on the roads we travel.

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