Don't Miss Your Life: Epiphany On The Road Home

There are those moments, those moments when time stands completely still. Sometimes, we can schedule their arrival, such as midnight service on Christmas Eve--we show up and The Moment happens, right on time. Other times, we can sense something may happen, as the sunset approaches, or Bubba Watson (or Tom Watson!) lines up that final putt, Kirk Gibson at the plate when only a home run will do, when the fishing fly hits the water just-so under that particular tree limb.

Then, there are the completely unexpected epiphanies, when the heavens open up and the angels sing, perhaps loudly perhaps softly; still it's unmistakeably a voice from outside that takes us by the lapels, looks us in the eye and growls--Pay Attention! You need to listen!

OS has had just a few of those, and reports with regret he disregarded a few of them. Others, he is grateful to report, he heeded.

Yesterday saw one of those moments arrive unbidden, out of the blue, like a slap upside-da-head. OS was driving home from short business trip, decided to see how much of the interstate he could avoid, and took in the countryside and small towns of southern Tennessee. The radio was playing, oldies until the station faded, a bit of black gospel (same story), and then a strong-signal country station from the next county over...ahh that's better. Some dreck, some classics. OS decided to drive through what remains of the once pretty downtown of Fayetteville. It was a scene of long decline, capped by this last recession decisively kicking the legs out from underneath the town. Radio playing, radio playing....and a song begins about a busy man on a plane with a deadline and BigThingsToDo--this song, as a matter of fact.

It tears at the heart, this song. OS was listening, absorbed in the lyric, rounded the curve at the old city cemetery, and saw a large old tombstone facing out to the road--with his name on it. Song plays on, and on--Don't Miss Your Life.

So, for the record (no pun intended) this epiphany did capture the attention, and OS has no intention of disregarding such a gift.