Some Air Force guys were tossing a football and then actually hit some golf balls on the desert. They took photos and laughed. I wondered who in the jam might be out of gas, need a restroom or miss their show in Vegas. I called my brother- he checked the internet and said there was nothing showing on the traffic reports. After thirty minutes I was glad I had heated seats and a good book. I turned the XM radio from techno to classical music, as I consciously decided not to get angry or wound up. I know people who would be miserable sitting for even two minutes or would be swearing about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Often the glass is not half full or half empty, to some it is half full of the wrong damned thing. Sometimes a chance to have a sit and some time to ponder uncertainty is not a bad thing. We can learn by being mindful of how we feel and act in such circumstances.
I knew I was going to get home late, but I knew I could sleep a bit later in the morning if needed. It was not so bad-just strange. We are used to driving as fast as we can and getting where we want to be unimpeded. I continued to read and breathe deeply. After a while I saw tow trucks and I figured it really was an accident. After about two hours- the lights began to flicker on in the distance. I finally kept the trend going and started the truck. It was like doing the wave in a stadium. I was finally moving-barely moving. Another 20 minutes of idling slowly I could see police lights and a major accident scene. Police cars, fire trucks and a scene that earlier must have been total chaos.
What I saw as I came up to the scene was a car in the middle of the right lane, burned to the frame. No tires, doors gone-just a shell. I saw another car that had rolled over, sitting on its top, off the road. It was an awful scene. I rolled past and found myself feeling emotional about the view. I wondered about the five W's- who, what, where, when and why? I hoped that the people in the cars were not hurt badly. I have to believe that people were badly injured or killed. I hope lives were not lost by trauma or fire. I felt an upwelling of compassion for the victims and the responders. The sadness must have been amazing-compounded by cold and isolation. If I had come on the scene could I have helped? I hope that compassionate people stopped and assisted those in need. This accident happened in a bad spot-waiting 30 minutes or more to put out a fire or get emergency medical care- just awful. As I rolled away, I silently prayed for those who had their lives changed last night.
As I pulled onto the off ramp in Vegas and pulled into my garage I was tired and did not unload my truck. I walked in, turned up the heat and went to bed. I was still thinking about who was affected in the accident and how badly. I wondered how families and lives changed. I was glad I did not get a call saying my child was injured or worse. We all owe God a death-I know that. But my comfort comes in knowing that God has a purpose for all of us and we are redeemable. My mental comfort came as I lay between cold sheets, and I fully realized and was aware that staying calm and compassionate to the needs of others was and always is a good thing. Always bad news for those in the accident. Compassion is always good for my soul. It is important to stay calm and be mindful of the suffering of others. I could not change the outcome of the accident scene I witnessed last night. I could control how I handled my thoughts and my responses. I could also control my feelings for those who suffered. A small lesson for some-a huge lesson for me.
May all on the earth seek peace and calm for their souls. May we practice patience and lovingkindness to others, even those we do not know. It may be us causing the traffic jam and how would we want to be treated in our time of great need.
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