MAGA

Daily Meditation 742–3/10/2024

It’s late. Really, really late. The dimmed, blue screen on your dashboard reads “2:19am.” You are unbelievably exhausted, but want to get to your AirBnB so you can drink a cool bottle of water and hit the hay for the next leg of your vacation.

Pulling your phone from the cupholder, you see you’ve still got no service. The road turned from ancient, crackled-eggshell pattern 1980s blacktop to graded, scalloping dirt roads about 5 miles back. Those winding, 5 miles were crept over at 30mph in the jet of night with various creatures — possums, deer, and owls — making varying appearances. The 5 miles back was where your service dropped.

Your adventure across the USA — from LA all the way to the tip of Maine — had begun some 3 weeks earlier. Now, you find yourself nearing your next stop for another couple days. This one is a nature retreat-esque cabin. The images online conjured thoughts of Walden Pond — limited service and limited distractions. Just the forest, a small river, and quiet.

As you round what feels like the 1000th hairpin curve, you finally see another car light ahead — it’s been almost a half hour since you’ve seen one.

Easing on the gas slightly, the brakelight nears. Soon, you see it’s a red car. In a few moments, your heart suddenly leaps — there’s been an accident.