This morning, on the way to work, I turned my stereo up so loud that I could not hear myself think. I did it on purpose. I have been thinking too much lately.
Having my ears and head numb opened up my eyes. As I drove, I spied…
-A man smoking and drinking what I assume to be coffee while he drove. Not unusual I know. However, it was the manner in which he did these things that struck me as noteworthy. Whenever he would swill back his morning drink, he would close his eyes in ecstasy. It was as if each drop was precious, to be cherished. His left arm hung out his opened window, holding the specialty cigarette wrapped in distinguished russet-colored paper. When he would take a drag, he would inhale deeply, eyes closed and then he would hold the smoke in his mouth, savoring the flavor, I imagine. When he would release the smoke into the atmosphere, he would lean his head out the window and slowly exhale, watching the little clouds float away.
-A horse eating soggy grass.
-A dead raccoon on the side of the road.
-Snow covered mountaintops to the west. Cloud covered mountaintops to the east.
-Two geese flying southeast.
-A billboard that always disturbs me by the headsup.com campaign. It shows the outline of a child on the ground at a crosswalk and reads, “Children should be seen and not hurt.”
-A metal headless horseman on a metal horse at a local haunted house attraction sitting still in the morning dampness and looking worse for the wear after last night’s storm.
-A youthful woman with hair so white and long, from behind I thought she would be an old crone. The color was that color I admire on elegant women who have aged so gracefully. When I pulled in alignment with her, I realized she was a young woman who was applying mascara while gazing in her rearview window. The contrast was startlingly attractive.
-Silver-gold linings on the eastern clouds that hid the rising sun.
-A plastic owl perched upon the sound barrier wall along the highway which I traveled.
-A homeless person pushing all of his belongings in a shopping cart.
-A police officer rocking out in his marked vehicle, drumming on his steering wheel.
-A sign upon a marquee of a church which read, “Eat your pride – it has no calories.”
