Too often we get caught up in life’s mundane tasks; in my case, it’s my recent job search.
On March 26th, Trooper Kevin P. Dobson of the New State Police was conducting a traffic stop of a speeder. At approximately 7:30 in the morning, he was struck by a vehicle and succumbed to his injuries. He left three kids and a girlfriend. He was only 43. His wake was down the street from my house.
It was a gray, chilly, wet morning. I decided to go for a run. The run took me down towards the funeral home where they were preparing for the procession. Police cars, SUVs and motorcycles from all over the place, were all over the place. Even as far as Westchester County NY, seven hours away. A fallen brother was truly honored and memorialized. With saluting officers, my hand over my heart, the procession headed east to Clarence where he was based. Three kids….43 years old…..*shaking head*.
As I watch the various vehicles of the Trooper Dobson procession past by, there was a woman waving the American flag. She was duly acknowledged by the state troopers. It was heartful, tearful. As I stand there and watch the hearse and each car go by, I am reminded that life can come and go in a flash. And I prayed that the Lord has a plan for him and his survivors.
Too often…tragedies all around the world and us….Japan, 9/11, Indonesia, Katrina, City Grill, Dobson….they all have the same impact. Life is precious. One minute it’s there, one minute it’s gone. July 2009, it could have been my turn. The world is a tough place to be in these days. We are constantly reminded of these struggles but we ignore them because they are a way of life.
For some of us, life on earth is just another stop. For others, its a “once in a lifetime” opportunity. But no matter how much we try, we can’t change history. We can’t turn the clock back. Just from watching everything it really can hit home even though I didn’t know Trooper Dobson. It’s just an indication and a reminder that life is precious. And it is not only to us, ourselves but also to others around us.
Sometimes I wish I could snap my fingers and make all the misery go away. If I can’t fix the past, I can at least try to make the future better. I can make the future better for myself and, I can try to make it better for others. Or perhaps, others can make it better for themselves which in turn will make it better for me.
Even all of the spitefulness, animosity, hatred and cold-heartiness towards another becomes a “what a waste of energy”. And then there is the guilt of those feelings. We’ll never ever have that chance to regret. Today truly makes this totally irrelevant…totally.
The bottom line is, when you see what I saw…when you feel what I felt and…when you think what I thought…we all need to stop for a moment and reflect on life.
“This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind…let it be something good.” -Author Unknown