Friday, December 17, 2010

Christmas Lights

The other day, I was driving home from work, and as I was topping the last hill before my house, a car coming in the opposite direction flashed his headlights at me a bunch of time. I wasn't sure what he wanted to tell me. My headlights were on...I wondered if maybe one of the bulbs was out, and I was driving around like One-Eyed Willie or something. Or was it something else? Was there danger ahead? Debris on the road? I slowed down just in case. There could be a cop waiting ahead, for all I knew, just hoping I'd speed down the hill.

There were several cars behind me, and they were probably all irritated that I had slowed down, but when we all passed the sheriff's car that was positioned in the church parking lot just past the point where the speed limit drops from 45mph to 35mph, they probably changed their curses to thanks. I know I did.

It's Christmastime, but I have no idea if that motivated this guy who flashed his lights at me or not. He definitely spread a little more peace on the earth and I felt his good will toward men. I sure couldn't handle a speeding ticket right now, so I'm really grateful to that guy for warning me.

In the future, I'll have to try to remember to return the favor, or pay it forward or whatever the proper phrase may be.

1 comment:

Rish Outfield said...

Brighted
by Rish Benjamin Outfield


"Stupid car!" Tray growled as the vehicle in the opposite lane flashed its brights at him. Tray didn't have his highbeams on, so the other driver was just being a douche. Because Tray was going pretty fast, he didn't have the chance to bright the other car back, or honk or anything. He just plunged along the unlit country road, seething at that driver, now just a pair of red taillights fading behind him.

Why would somebody do that? Was it that old wives' tale about the gang orientation? Was it something else, a warning maybe, that Tray's own lights weren't on? Tray checked, but his were fine, and they certainly weren't on the bright setting.

Maybe the other driver had been trying to warn him about a policeman up ahead, in that speed trap where the road straightened out for a mile. Or maybe there was an accident up ahead.

The more Tray thought about it, the more he worried that the other driver was trying to tell him something, something important. He found himself slowing, slowing way down. After all, it was very dark out here in the country, and sometimes there was flooding, and sometimes an animal wandered onto the road.

Tray slammed on his brakes. Up the way, something was moving from the left lane to the right. A large creature with horns and claws, walking on its hind legs. He was going slow enough now to stop in time, and the creature glared at him as it finished crossing, its yellow eyes luminous in his headlights.

"Stupid boogeyman," Tray growled.