As I turned right out of the petrol station, I found myself riding side by side with a young kid on an electric scooter. While I got ahead, he silently zipped passed me as I waited at the light. Hair flying, effortless posture, eyes fixed firmly on the road ahead, it was inspiration in motion!
While waiting at the T-junction’s red light, I could see him catching up at speed! My joy in the side mirror quickly turned to fear as I looked at the traffic on my right coming across my bow. If he stopped, everything was going to be fine. If he zipped on through the right light…even as I thought the words I could see everything unfolding in slow motion! If felt as if my heart had stopped.
Everything had turned black in the bright sunlight. On my left, the scooter and writer went by my position at the intersection edge at speed. I could see his smile turning to something else. On my right, I could see the public bus driver trying to slow down and move further to the right to miss the scooter and rider. It was going to be close no matter how it turned out.
I did not want to watch but I had no were to go, besides it was over in a second. In that instant it was as if nothing happened. The young rider banked hard left and aimed for the sidewalk and trees. The bus drifted back into its original lane. Everything went on as if nothing had occurred.
All was good, except I knew how close it had been. The psalmist’s words played in the background reminding me what was and is at stake; “If you {Divinity] turned your back, they’d die in a minute – Take back your Spirit and they die, revert to original mud;” (Psalm 104.29)
Two emotions linger from yesterday. I want to remember and embrace the freedom and smile of the man on the scooter. I also want to remember the moment when everything hung in the balance.
