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To Brake or not to Brake

27 replies · 3,751 views · Started 23 May 2005

I almost ran over a squirrel today. It darted out in front of me and immediately upon sensing my approach, changed its mind. And changed its mind not once� not twice� but thrice: it did a flapjack-180-flip right there in the centre of the road, almost as if it were auditioning for some sort of freakish rodent circus sideshow that I might be judging. I stayed the course and watched - in the surrealist of slow motion - its brown furry body flopping and spinning as its walnut-sized brain processed the odds of making it to other side of the road without losing any of its guts or girth.

For quite some time afterwards I thought of this squirrel. Had our random meeting of cosmic fortuitousness affected either of our lives at all? Was the squirrel on its way to someplace in particular? Were there special nuts on the other side of the road that only it knew about? Maybe my seemingly ill-timed passing was not ill-timed at all and I had actually saved it from some large carnivorous predator that was lurking in the bushes on the other side of the street. Or perhaps I had simply managed to louse up its life to the point that it would never emotionally recover and would suffer incessant flashbacks of horror until the day it died for real.

Thinking about this more than I probably should have, I naturally applied the entire random-squirrel theory to my own life. Not so much in connection to this one particular squirrel, but in regards to each and every human dirigible that has ever drifted across my radar screen. I know for a fact that some people waft in and out of my life and not a microgram of emotion or influence is moved from either side of the scales. But I also know that there are a few precious souls on this planet that have had an effect on me so profound, that I could not possibly convey my emotions with any of the words that I know.

I don�t know where I�m going with this anymore. It started out as a mere almost-squirrel-killer being relating, but discussing it with a friend humorously led me to this deep thinking. Did any odd events like that get anyone else to contemplate deeper meanings of life in the flash of a second?
The best I can do right now is to stop writing and simply think about them. And so I shall.

And no, if I had killed the squirrel, I wouldn�t have made some Brunswick stew. : p That would have not been an option, besides, I don�t cook.

I almost ran over a squirrel today. It darted out in front of me and immediately upon sensing my approach, changed its mind. And changed its mind not once� not twice� but thrice: it did a flapjack-180-flip right there in the centre of the road, almost as if it were auditioning for some sort of freakish rodent circus sideshow that I might be judging. I stayed the course and watched - in the surrealist of slow motion - its brown furry body flopping and spinning as its walnut-sized brain processed the odds of making it to other side of the road without losing any of its guts or girth.

For quite some time afterwards I thought of this squirrel. Had our random meeting of cosmic fortuitousness affected either of our lives at all? Was the squirrel on its way to someplace in particular? Were there special nuts on the other side of the road that only it knew about? Maybe my seemingly ill-timed passing was not ill-timed at all and I had actually saved it from some large carnivorous predator that was lurking in the bushes on the other side of the street. Or perhaps I had simply managed to louse up its life to the point that it would never emotionally recover and would suffer incessant flashbacks of horror until the day it died for real.

Thinking about this more than I probably should have, I naturally applied the entire random-squirrel theory to my own life. Not so much in connection to this one particular squirrel, but in regards to each and every human dirigible that has ever drifted across my radar screen. I know for a fact that some people waft in and out of my life and not a microgram of emotion or influence is moved from either side of the scales. But I also know that there are a few precious souls on this planet that have had an effect on me so profound, that I could not possibly convey my emotions with any of the words that I know.

I don�t know where I�m going with this anymore. It started out as a mere almost-squirrel-killer being relating, but discussing it with a friend humorously led me to this deep thinking. Did any odd events like that get anyone else to contemplate deeper meanings of life in the flash of a second?
The best I can do right now is to stop writing and simply think about them. And so I shall.

And no, if I had killed the squirrel, I wouldn�t have made some Brunswick stew. : p That would have not been an option, besides, I don�t cook.

This reminds me of an episode of Seinfeld. There is no deal with the squirrels. Unlike the deal we have with the pidgeons. If a squirrel gets in your war don't sop your whole life for it. Besides the odds of it being in line with one of your tires is low.

This reminds me of an episode of Seinfeld. There is no deal with the squirrels. Unlike the deal we have with the pidgeons. If a squirrel gets in your war don't sop your whole life for it. Besides the odds of it being in line with one of your tires is low.

Heh. Yeah, that was a great episode. 😛 "WE HAD A DEAL!!!"

Yeah, CR, ... I know very well what you mean. Stuff like that happens to me all the time, and it puts me into the most awkward of moods. o_o; I usually have to manually snap myself out of it before I go somewhere I really don't want to go.

[right]Like off a bridge.[/right]

Heh. Yeah, that was a great episode. 😛 "WE HAD A DEAL!!!"

Yeah, CR, ... I know very well what you mean. Stuff like that happens to me all the time, and it puts me into the most awkward of moods. o_o; I usually have to manually snap myself out of it before I go somewhere I really don't want to go.

[right]Like off a bridge.[/right]

There are squirrels all over our neighborhood, especially when I leave for work in the mornings. I usually have 3 or 4 that run out infront of me before I get out of the neighborhood. I no longer slow down for the lil fuckers, if they wanna be daredevils let'em die. :P

There are squirrels all over our neighborhood, especially when I leave for work in the mornings. I usually have 3 or 4 that run out infront of me before I get out of the neighborhood. I no longer slow down for the lil fuckers, if they wanna be daredevils let'em die. :P

One time I was feeling extremely mean and I ran over one on purpose. Yeah, even chased it into the other lane of the road to get it. Man, I'm mean.

One time I was feeling extremely mean and I ran over one on purpose. Yeah, even chased it into the other lane of the road to get it. Man, I'm mean.

I have never done that. I don't see a point. I wouldn't want that to happen to me. Taking life for the sheer entertainment of it is stupid, in my highly trained opinion.

I have never done that. I don't see a point. I wouldn't want that to happen to me. Taking life for the sheer entertainment of it is stupid, in my highly trained opinion.

I agree whole-heartedly. I'd never do it in the real world. In my make believe mean Tony world. I am evil, and I kill indiscriminately.

I agree whole-heartedly. I'd never do it in the real world. In my make believe mean Tony world. I am evil, and I kill indiscriminately.

Hm... I happened across a family of ducks one time. The mama duck was leading her four ducklings across the road, and I slammed on my breaks to let them cross. I felt very proud of myself.

Then on my way home, to my dismay, there were 5 flattened ducks on the road in the other lane. I was kinda sad, after the effort I went through. 😞

On that note, the sadest thing I had seen lately was driving home a few weeks ago. There was a dog that had been hit and killed by a car right on the center line, and another dog just like it laying down next to it. I felt so bad, and I had hoped that nobody would hit the other.

Hm... I happened across a family of ducks one time. The mama duck was leading her four ducklings across the road, and I slammed on my breaks to let them cross. I felt very proud of myself.

Then on my way home, to my dismay, there were 5 flattened ducks on the road in the other lane. I was kinda sad, after the effort I went through. 😞

On that note, the sadest thing I had seen lately was driving home a few weeks ago. There was a dog that had been hit and killed by a car right on the center line, and another dog just like it laying down next to it. I felt so bad, and I had hoped that nobody would hit the other.

They're squirrels, they build nests in my El Camino... LET 'EM DIE!

They're squirrels, they build nests in my El Camino... LET 'EM DIE!

They're humans, they build cities on my beaches....LET 'EM DIE!

🙄

It's a good thing Mother Nature isn't as heartless, eh?

They're humans, they build cities on my beaches....LET 'EM DIE!

🙄

It's a good thing Mother Nature isn't as heartless, eh?

If it was a grey 'immigrant' squirrel I would have drove into the bush to flatten it.
A red one however, i would have swerved onto the bush to miss it.

If it was a grey 'immigrant' squirrel I would have drove into the bush to flatten it.
A red one however, i would have swerved onto the bush to miss it.