I was behind the wheel of my ’99 Lumina, cruising east on I-70. The sun was warm, the cornfields were rolling by at a steady clip, and there was excellent music on the stereo. More importantly, I was headed home. Home means family and homemade cookies. Home means precious time with my girlfriend. It was a good moment in time.
Then, abruptly, the moment changed. In a flash of silver, there was a disruption in the regularity in the westbound traffic. In one of those moments that seem to go in slow motion, but are gone in a blink, a silver Honda glanced off another car on the other side of the highway and came careening across the grass separating east and west traffic. The rest of the story is just a blur in my rearview mirror. I’m not sure what happened when the laws of physics catapulted the errant vehicle into oncoming traffic.
That moment left me rattled for a few reasons. I have seen cars wreck before. Anyone who has spent any time around motorsports knows that racecar drivers tend to forget that the laws of physics exist. When that happens things get crunched. But this was the first time I had seen a serious wreck happen that was not controlled by tire barriers and roll cages.
It also occurred to me that had I been 50 yards behind where I was in traffic, I could have very well been more seriously involved in that destructive moment.
But, neither of those thoughts are the most significant or revelatory thought that ran through my head. My first thought, besides surprise and perhaps a swear word, was for the safety of the drivers involved. Why? Why was my first thought for the fate of a person who had no impact on my life? I hadn’t even seen the driver’s face.
I believe the answer to that question describes part of what it means to be human. There is a value that we place on humanity. A person is important simply because they are a person.
We, as individuals are keenly aware of this in ourselves. It is what makes us feel like we have a right to anything. It is why we get offended when we feel that our rights are in danger of being taken away. It is why history is full of stories with names like Bunker Hill and The Battle of Britain. Oh yes, we are well aware of the value of our own personhood. The problem arises when we cannot recognize it in another person.
itmayormaynotmatter 