The tone of today’s post has changed since I took these photographs last week. I took the shots with the intention of showing you this charming and very old, family run independent hardware store located within an easy walk to our home called Rotblott’s. This was a couple of days before the sad occurrence that has caused the story to change.
On Thursday morning I woke up to the sound of helicopters circling above. I have only ever awaken to this once before, a couple of years ago when a major fire destroyed several historic buildings nearby. That day, just as I did on Thursday, I knew something was wrong around our home.
I grabbed by ipad and searched for breaking news. The story was not good. A woman, aged 30, who had been walking along the street only steps from where these pictures were taken, had been hit by a delivery truck and was trapped and conscious underneath. When I checked again a couple of hours later, I discovered that she had died.
From what can be discerned, the driver simply did not see her. This could have been caused by the sun that would have been shining directly into his eyes as he drove eastward as the sun was rising. Understandably, he is distraught.
I can’t stop thinking about her. Her family has asked that her name not be released so I have no idea who she was. But what I do know is that it was a lovely spring morning and at one moment this woman was walking along a street where I walk pretty well every single day, and then she lost her life there.
While out to see a nice show on Saturday night, my mind was full of thoughts of this person who would never again have the chance to enjoy a show. I had to force my mind back to where I was, so as not to bring down the celebratory mood surrounding me, as my friends and I bid one of our group a happy birthday.
I checked again this morning to see if there was any further news on the story, after the week-end. There is nothing to add, except a follow-up story about pedestrian deaths in the city. So far this year there have been 11. It has been determined that it is a 50/50 split in regards to who is at fault in pedestrian versus vehicular accidents. Pedestrians are warned to not wear earphones, talk on the phone, or read, as they walk the streets. And they are reminded to always look around and watch where they are going.
Such are the reasonable safety warnings, but along with those I want to remind you and myself, that life is fragile and we must always try to live in the moment and enjoy it. While reading a book or waiting in a line-up or sweeping the floor, stop and think about the fact that you are there doing whatever it is that you are doing, be it tedious or joyful.
I’m sorry this could not be a cheerful post, as there is no way I could have posted these pictures and ignored what had just occurred so nearby to where they were taken. Nor could I bring myself to not post them and pretend that this awful thing hadn’t just happened right in my midst.
loulou
