A rainy day:
The continental United States had had the hottest year so far on record and it must be pretty close to the driest. In case you are wondering where all the rain went, it came here to Florida. We have had delightful heavy showers. Even the weatherman has noticed that rain is a good thing.
A few days ago I had an errand to run a couple hundred miles up the state. The ride out was not bad although I had got my fill of thoughtless drivers by the time I got there, and I’m sure they had their fill of me. Coming home the traffic was heavy and the clouds promised rain. I had no idea how much rain. For hours we hammered through downpours that were so blinding that we all slowed to forty miles an hour, about half the usual. I think I would have pulled off the road had there been no traffic, but a lot of drivers had flashers on and maintaining a good distance made travel possible. The rain on the roof was deafening. Every exit a few prudent souls would pull off.
When we finally got to where it was only raining we resumed a reasonable speed. And it was a strange feeling. I and all these strangers had just shared a memorable and challenging experience and everybody still on the road had comported themselves well. For many miles all the drivers were thoughtful and prudent. Nobody sought unnecessary advantage. Nobody got in anybody’s way. We were a band of brothers.
Then we got to the first city and others began to join us. You could recognize them. They hadn’t been part of the team. And within another half hour it was back to normal. I sometimes think that Florida drivers would have made the best medieval cavalry ever.
As I work to get the word out that kinship and fertility are related and that this is an important fact I often find myself being a doomsayer. Of course nobody likes that. But I have the fond hope that one day we will come to grips with the process, become its master, and look back with a shudder at our heedless actions. Then, and this is the most idle hope, maybe we will all recognize each the accomplishments of the other, each the merits of teamwork and how it will have brought success.
Those should be good times.
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