Lucky. I was late for an appointment yesterday morning in Fredericksburg. As I rushed down the road, several police cars passed me. I discovered why when I got to Hye. Big wreck. As I turned to find an alternate route, and there is one, I calculated that if I’d left on time I might have been there just as that wreck happened, and it might have involved me. But I was late, and I wasn’t.

Of course, there’s no way of proving the point for a whole variety of reasons, but it’s fun to let your mind wander sometimes, especially when it’s a nice way to feel good about being late for an appointment. And my mind wandered, especially as I drove the alternate route, and thought this is a lot prettier and peaceful than the main route. I think I may give it a spin going forward. It’s a tiny bit more circuitous, but it certainly has less traffic and what’s the rush.

So, not only did I miss a wreck I discovered something new, and both of those are good things. I just need to follow up and see how the new route works out. I have found that driving slower is a lot more peaceful than the youthful speed of my past, and I certainly find myself being more tolerant of other drivers. Both of those might actually add years to my life, which I consider a plus. And I could use a break from the hectic activity on 290 between Johnson City and Fredericksburg because it has become quite the well-traveled road. And I’ll leave it at that because I-remember-when doesn’t really suit me.

John W. Wilson is the author of The Long Goodbye: A Caregiver's Tale