I Walk the Line

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I really need to stop reading the paper.

My heart was aching this morning after reading about a 35-year-old man who was killed in a car crash. The last line of the recap talked about the police officer who had to notify the young wife...now a widowed mother of two.

And since I had to travel to Rochester, for the 2nd day in a row (A 180-mile round trip) I had a lot of time to think about things.

And I was tired. Long week. They seem longer than 5 days these years.

Got things done and decided to put on the I-pod to pick up my mood. It was raining hard when I thought about that poor wife and her kids. But I drove towards home.

When I stopped to get a coffee. I called home. Sam and Kathy were both on the line and I betrayed what I was feeling by trying to be upbeat about the coming weekend. Steak for dinner. Yankees at 7. Golf on Sunday morning. Party with Pops tomorrow.

Planning life.

I got back on the Thruway and the rain slowed. The music kept coming though. Stones doing Where the Boys Are, Dire Straits with Love Over Gold, Mellencamp with Human Wheels and Tom Petty doing Learning to Fly.

All songs I love to sing.(My Lady Gaga phase has passed...two songs into it).

The old familiar sound of Johnny Cash followed Petty. I met Johnny Cash's kid at a book signing in New York. I told him that his father was the coolest guy on the planet. JC Jr. agreed. I got a free tee-shirt.

I was thinking of this, and singing along to the following verse:

As sure as night is dark and day is light I keep you on my mind both day and night and the happiness I've known proves it right.

And a 10-wheeler edged over really quickly. I was doing 70 mph on cruise control. He evidently didn't see me.

The back tire of his truck was inches away from the front of my truck. I hit the shoulder, and laid on the horn. I'm not sure I stopped singing though. It was that fast.

I was looking for the spot in the field where my truck would turn over and over when he cut the wheel back and got into his own lane.

I steadied my heart and got back to the song.

You've got a way to keep me on your side
You give me cause for love that I can't hide
For you, I know I'd even try to turn the tide
Because you're mine
I walk the line.

It took me a few minutes to make my way past the driver of the 10-wheeler. As I passed he honked his horn. He looked like Colonel Sanders. He mouthed the word, 'Sorry.'

I waved and moved on down the line.

That close.

Life's too fragile.

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