I'm in the Fort Worth area, this week. With every mile I put between me and my house, the more vulnerable I felt.
Sure, the rental van was stocked with blankets, water, food bars, sidearms and ammo, but that isn't anything compared to what I left behind! I started thinking about that George Carlin monologue about stuff. Remember that?
Anyway, the point was driven home last night, somewhere in the Dallas/Fort Worth area on I-20. The traffic was buzzing right along until it came to a quick halt. Every other car went from 70-ish to a quick halt, diving to the left should to avoid the other "every other car. I saw that the other direction was having difficulty, too. Then, we began the speed up to ten to then stop, routine. Adding the two directions, there were probably thousands of people involved in this mess.
When we got to the problem, my side had a minor incident, but the other side had a serious one which included a vehicle that was totally in flames. The smoke drifted across the median and into the van. Those fumes were obviously very toxic, as burning plastics, oils and lubricants and other products used in the building of cars put off a lot carcinogens. People in the other traffic jam had no choice but to breathe that mess.
Furthermore, what if an "incident" had occurred while I was in that traffic jam? Far from home in the middle of a major city, very little provisions and still miles from family members who aren't prepared for bad events, anyway?
This Thanksgiving is one that is causing me to be even more thankful.
Sure, the rental van was stocked with blankets, water, food bars, sidearms and ammo, but that isn't anything compared to what I left behind! I started thinking about that George Carlin monologue about stuff. Remember that?
Anyway, the point was driven home last night, somewhere in the Dallas/Fort Worth area on I-20. The traffic was buzzing right along until it came to a quick halt. Every other car went from 70-ish to a quick halt, diving to the left should to avoid the other "every other car. I saw that the other direction was having difficulty, too. Then, we began the speed up to ten to then stop, routine. Adding the two directions, there were probably thousands of people involved in this mess.
When we got to the problem, my side had a minor incident, but the other side had a serious one which included a vehicle that was totally in flames. The smoke drifted across the median and into the van. Those fumes were obviously very toxic, as burning plastics, oils and lubricants and other products used in the building of cars put off a lot carcinogens. People in the other traffic jam had no choice but to breathe that mess.
Furthermore, what if an "incident" had occurred while I was in that traffic jam? Far from home in the middle of a major city, very little provisions and still miles from family members who aren't prepared for bad events, anyway?
This Thanksgiving is one that is causing me to be even more thankful.
