Skid Mark

Yesterday evening I was fortunate enough to be able to ride on a nice January day.  I passed a runner just as I turned the first corner from my house.  Riding my short town route, I saw a friend outside with his daughter, and stopped to say hello.  I was probably about one mile into the ride by then.  We spoke briefly and, as I turned to continue the ride, there went the same jogger.  We had both used the same route.  I overtook her and complimented her pace.  "I'm not keeping up very well, this is the second time I passed you," I said.  She smiled and we encouraged each other to enjoy the day.

My ride only lasted about a half an hour because the sun was nearly down before I started.  When I climbed onto the bicycle I was still in work clothes except for a helmet and a reflective vest.  This time of year one has to hurry, after working a full day, to get in any evening ride at all.  I suppose that is what the squirrel I saw was doing.  He was trying to get in just a few moments of food gathering while the sun was shinning and temperatures were moderate.

The unfortunate thing about the squirrel was that he was flat.  I could tell a car driver had tried to stop before hitting the little creature.  The poor four legged fellow could not have had less fortunate timing and managed to get under the wheel just as it was stopping.  There was a gooey skid mark, about two feet long, that ended with the flat, dead, squirrel.  I had never seen such a skid mark.  When thinking about the situation it occurred to me that both the driver and the animal were trying to do what they thought right.  The squirrel was hurrying to keep from being caught, and the driver stopped to avoid hitting the animal.  Sometimes even when we try to do the right thing the outcome is not what we seek. We still must try to do what we have learned is the right thing. Only when we discover it isn't right can we change.