Picture: My Mercedes outside of my new gated community.Like most black men, I love me a nice ride. Actually, silver is one of my favorite colors for a car. I also like my music loud – but I must admit when I ride with it blaring I get a little embarrassed. Especially at a stop light. Dick Gregory is quoted, “Black men like to have their car stereos loud so that they can forget their problems.”
I remembered Dick’s comment while I was in my dirty Jeep Grand Cherokee stopped at Garrett Morgan's invention, http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/gama/gamlife.htm. Then I did something untypical. I asked the guy driving a silver convertible Mercedes, “Why are you driving with the top down on this cold misty day?” Of course, I had to motion to get his attention. He had everyone in their vehicles near him listening to Sade’s Soldier of Love,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvDaJaU5My4. Pretty hot track, by the way! The frail looking dark skin 30 something fella looked at me with so much intensity that I wanted to drive off. I could not thanks to the trash truck, the Monte Carlo with McDonalds ‘graffiti all over it (looked something like this one: http://cm1.theinsider.com/media/0/75/31/mcdonalds_ghetto_car.0.0.0x0.500x375.jpeg, the sparkling clean Audio A8, and the Ford F-150. I was literally boxed in. This time I am okay with it (the confinement) because the young man went onto tearfully respond to my question:
“I have terminal cancer. I may not live another three months. So, I wanted to see what it was like to drive a convertible. I never have until now. I wash cars at the car lot down the road, and the manager let me take a spin. I am trying to get it all in before I die.”
The light switched to the color of money. He drove off. I sat there with the horns of aggressive drivers ringing in my ears. Shocked! Get that, the young man was proceeding with his day; while I confined myself. He went on to live for the day as I sat there blown by his disclosure…
Those of you who ‘question’ my encounters. Stop! This one and most are TRUE. LOL!
Somebody/Something is trying to tell ALL of US SOMETHING every single day.
Lord knows I need to answer that ‘Call’.
Brian E. Payne sharing another installment.
Those of you who ‘question’ my encounters. Stop! This one and most are TRUE. LOL!
Somebody/Something is trying to tell ALL of US SOMETHING every single day.
Lord knows I need to answer that ‘Call’.
Brian E. Payne sharing another installment.
Reader Response:
ReplyDeleteWow! Good read.
-AJ
Reader Response:
ReplyDeleteWOW!
-AC
Reader Response:
ReplyDeleteWow....! Very POWERFUL.
-ME
Reader Response:
ReplyDeleteDamn powerful encounter, wouldn’t you say? Now what are you going to do with it? Every day we are presented with messages and opportunities to make a change, but most don’t heed the call, and I want to believe its because we don’t recognize it when, but you can’t say that today. This was up close and personal.
When you say, “the young man was proceeding with his day; while I confined myself.” Why is that, why were you confined and why were so many of us you shared this with left without words, me included? I believe its because we know that we take LIFE for granted and we feel guilty at time like this - when snap shots of what life really should be about are shown to us. This young man, no longer has that opportunity to sit back and delay his dreams and desires, he is required to make every moment count – just as we all should regardless of your perceived time remaining.
The message I take from your encounter and all the other personal stuff I’ve got going on is LIVE EVERY DAY AS THOUGH IT IS YOUR LAST, FOR WE ARE NOT PROMISED TOMORROW! Tell those you love that you love them and don’t waste time on sweating the small stuff!
-EFJ
Brian Responds to EFJ:
ReplyDeleteThanks for responding. I thought of this while reading your response:
We all are dying - but the pending death is not real to us until we are facing death. This young man has been given his sentence. He knows for sure when the "Death Angel" is coming. Or, does he? Either way, he is 'ahead' of many. He drove off knowing what it takes to live. Driving the Mercedes was his recent LIVING EXPEDITION.
We ain't living! A damn shame we don't LIVE until we are told we are going to die. Silly considering we ALL KNOW we are terminal!
Actually, I wish I had my death date. You? Perhaps, I would not go back and forth on living.
-Brian
Reader Response:
ReplyDeleteA natural reaction on your part. Not many are so open about their mortality to a stranger.
-CS
Reader Response:
ReplyDeleteI never question my Payne's encounters! Love this one, thanks for sharing, I am fortunate to see people chosing to live their lifes in amazing ways in my daily work, for which I am always grateful for...
-SN
Reader Response:
ReplyDeleteI only know 2 people who figured out how to Live a long time ago.
-PM