egly@hplred.HP.COM (Diana Egly) (01/17/90)
Last night when on my way to a friend's house to celebrate his birthday, I saw an ambulance, sirens blaring, trying to get around cars. Whenever I see an ambulance I start asking that the other drivers get out of the way, that the ambulance get where its going promptly and safely, that the paramedics be able to help. If I were Catholic I would cross myself, but I'm not. So I just talk to God. Because of the ambulance I was stuck in traffic, and so I saw that the injured party was (evidentally) a pedestrian. I saw that the police talking to the engineer of the train that was stopped at the intersection. The intersection where my sister was killed in a pedestrian-train accident. Then I saw the coroner's car arrive and I saw the ambulance leave, empty. So many times have I sat at that intersection and watched the trains go by and saw, in my mind's eye, her accident. It helps. In the moments of her death people that I will never meet were affected. I can see it in the police reports. I can see it in the coroner's investigation. Just as people were affected by the accident last night. Not just me. And so I pray for the engineer. I pray for any other witnesses that there may be. I pray for the family and loved ones of the victim. And particularly for the one who makes the trip to the coroner's office. Perhaps some of the rest of you will be moved to pray with me. Or whatever ritual brings you close to your diety. No toast. No crashing of glass. Just a prayer.
davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (Wm E. Davidsen Jr) (01/20/90)
In article <20940028@hplred.HP.COM> egly@hplred.HP.COM (Diana Egly) writes: | And so I pray for the engineer. | I pray for any other witnesses that there may be. | I pray for the family and loved ones of the victim. | And particularly for the one who makes the trip to the coroner's office. | | Perhaps some of the rest of you will be moved to pray with me. | Or whatever ritual brings you close to your diety. The Tall Man With The Beard bows his head and softly says "May the prime mover, by whatever name, grant us the strength and wisdom to avoid feeling guilt for things we can not control." From the myriad corners come whispers of "Amen." -- bill davidsen - sysop *IX BBS and Public Access UNIX davidsen@sixhub.uucp ...!uunet!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen "Getting old is bad, but it beats the hell out of the alternative" -anon