A Guy Who Gets It

I was out on my bike yesterday (20 degrees) running my dog. I'd not taken her for a walk in a few days, and though I didn't have time, I figured (as I'd done before) I could let her jog while I rode alongside her. That way I'd cut my time in half.

I passed a retired guy down the street (Mr. C) as he was bringing his garbage can out -we exchanged quick pleasantries as I rode by. As I continued my effort to tire my dog out I realized that she'd gotten the workout she needed so I turned around and began to head home.

With great haste, Mr. C was now backing out of his driveway in his silver minivan. So Daisy and I stopped and waited on the other side of the road. I knew that he was looking for cars and that he hadn't seen me.

I saw him look in his mirror as he went to pull away. The car stopped immediately. Mortified that he'd not seen me -out of the car with the humblest of looks and apologies he came.

THAT'S IT! He got it. If I wasn't paying attention, in his carelessness, he'd have run my dog and me both over. That's a serious matter and he acknowledged it with his actions.

How many people would have stuck their arm out the window or just rolled down the window and said, "I'm sorry"? Either of those would have been just lazy thinking and a denial of the gravity of reality.

Reality is our friend. Humility is a sign of strength and awareness of reality.

Mr. C thought, understood what could have happened in his carelessness yet his humble recovery, taught me more than he would have had he just backed out more carefully. Oh, to be so humble...

RR