The morning traffic anchor announced this morning's commuter update:
"A truck overturned on I-65 this morning. The driver has been taken to the hospital and is listed is good condition.
However, be on the lookout for frozen chickens spilled all over the road."
Commuting is hard to do.
Whether your driving your car. Taking a train. Or merely pounding the pavement alongside hundreds of others. The daily commute takes a toll.
It’s mentally frustrating. The back-and-forth travel will challenge your motor skills as you dodge other drivers. Or literally jump out of the way as a racing bicycling whizzes past you on the city streets.
Take yesterday morning, in the midst of my 2-mile drive to the train station, I saw a suspicious scene. The main road intersects with a walking/bike path, which winds its way through wooded areas, past a local church, and finally ends at the local police station.
Typically I’ll see a couple of folks enjoying a leisurely walk together. Or a family on their weekend bike outing.
Heck, I’ve seen a few coyotes use the path. They even cross at the proper point in the road. How cute is that!
Why, only yesterday I spotted a small Chevy coming off said walkway. It looked like an old Chevette. Does Chevy they even make those any more??
The driver swerved sharply as she aimed for the legitimate road (the one actually intended for driving).
I’m not sure where this poor woman accessed the road in the first place. Did she simply believe the walkway was part of the usual traffic pattern?
Or was she having a mental impairment of sorts?
There was no way to determine an answer for her predicament. I slowed down and avoided her at all costs as her vehicle drove over the solid center line toward my car. “Please don’t hit me,” I thought.
She didn’t. Whew! I continued on my way toward the train station.
All this early morning drama made me think of my husband’s commute, as he carefully navigates I-294 each morning and evening.
Tuesday night driving was like maneuvering through a huge washing machine, as the pouring rain obliterated the ever-changing lanes due to the years-long road construction.
He’s seen it all too. From vehicles rolled over after traveling too fast — or the litterbug who throws their entire bag of McDonald’s breakfast containers out the driver’s side window.
Shaking his head each day, he carries on. And carries the stress of it all throughout his entire work week.
Approximately 75 minutes later, I arrive at my office building. Right there, on Clark Street, I see a City of Chicago fire truck positioned in the middle of the street. Do I detour and go around the other side? I wonder…
Yet all the traffic keeps sailing past the emergency vehicle, so I take my chances.
To my surprise, a woman lies flat on her back in the middle of north Clark Street. Two firefighters surround her. I see that both her feet are wrapped in white bandages, from her toes to above her ankles.
The forceful alarm of an ambulance approaches the intersection. I murmur a small prayer for the unfortunate commuter, realizing full well that her day started out as ordinary and simply as mine had.
Yet, hers already ended in an ill-fated misfortune. I’m glad to report she appeared responsive and was conversing with the EMTs. Such was her unhappy day.
I continued my walk into the building. just like any other morning. Where I have to wake up early and try not to think about the commute that faces me four days a week. Where unlucky surprises seem to creep in every day.
So I’m here to warn everyone: Stay safe. Keep moving.
And please keep an eye out for any frozen chickens in the road.
Thank you for reading – PIZZA FOR BREAKFAST
PIZZA FOR BREAKFAST 