WARNING SIGNS ALONG THE PATH

As I drove to work yesterday I opted to take the back roads. Sometimes there are just too many big rigs on the main path, so driving through the less traveled roads is nice.

As I drove past harvested fields, farms and woods I made sure to watch carefully for wildlife. It’s that time of year when the deer seem to be everywhere. And sure enough, as I came over a hill, there in the middle of the road stood a lovely deer. Just standing there. As a red truck came over the next hilltop I flashed my lights. He slowed down, almost to a stop also. We both watched the deer. When she finally wandered on into the woods both vehicles resumed their drive. And as we passed we waved to each other, and I realized that my smile must of looked a lot like his. In that moment I think both of us were touched by the beauty and peace we just witnessed. As I drove on, I came across two more deer. I don’t think I will ever, not be tickled to see them. 

On my drive home, now that daylight savings is in place and it gets dark an hour before I leave my office, I stick to the main roads. And unlike living in the city, there are no street lights for my hour drive home. So I rely on the other drivers to help keep my pathway lit. 

But as I drove the last length of my drive in the dark, I passed a car that flashed his lights at me. I checked to make sure I had my lights on… I did. I wasn’t speeding. So why had he flashed his lights? Then as I came over the next hill, a truck flashed his lights. Not once but twice. I slowed down. No one was ahead of me that I could see,  so I became more conscious, more aware. What was I not seeing? Over the next hill, far in the distance I could see a line of break lights and flashing light. The road ahead of me was being closed. I don’t know if it due to deer or an accident, but I knew I only had one more option if I didn’t want to be part of what looked like a long line of stopped traffic. So I took a back road I had never taken before. Driving in the dark is bad enough, but driving an unfamiliar road in the dark is worse. But I knew where the road would take me and that I could bypass the intersection that was blocked. So I traveled up and down that little road over a dozen hills. And sure enough, I emerged just where I thought I would, beyond the blocked path. But the entire time I was driving that unfamiliar road, it the inky darkness I was praying that no deer were standing in the road.