Monday November 24, 2014

RPG

Life and death, millimeters and seconds

Group was supposed to start at 9:00.  By 9:20 only Martell and Seal were in the group room.

"Where is everybody?" I asked them both.

"There was a big pileup on 79 North," Seal said. "They may be caught behind it.  The news guy said the ice was only as thick as a greeting card. Three people were taken to the hospital.  One was taken by helicopter to Allegheny General.  He's in critical condition." A silence fell over the three of us.

By 11:00 everyone had arrived safely.  The stragglers compared notes.  Tony had been almost four miles behind the accident.  Kim had been three cars behind the last car to crash.  She had seen several cars in front of her skid into the pile.

I thought about life, death, a couple millimeters of ice, and the few seconds that must have separated Kim's car from the last car to crash.

"I am so grateful you are all here, safe and sound!" I said.  I meant it. 

Today I will be grateful for all the people in my life,

knowing the difference between life and death is sometimes millimeters or seconds.

Relapse Prevention Group © 2014 by Ken Montrose