Description
I was on a busy intersection at a gas station filling up my tank when I noticed a mallard duck come waddling alone across the parking lot. The duck seemed intent on going somewhere to the North. I was struck by this duck with a sense of purpose. He was going somewhere! While my tank was filling, I watched the duck come all the way across the parking lot of the gas station, then hop up on the curb and walk to the very corner of the intersection. Now this wasn’t just any urban intersection, it was a very busy street in the south end of the Salt Lake Valley.
I watched with a little trepidation as that duck reached the edge of the street, hopped down off of the curb and started across as though he was entitled and owned the road. I looked down the street and coming up were several speeding cars heading straight for the duck. Oblivious, the duck just kept waddling out into the street. I cringed. I couldn’t save him, but the timing in this case was perfect. The first car roared up on the duck just as the duck reached that critical spot and the car was right in front of him. Not the other way around. The duck stopped, backed up a step and then as soon as the car went past, resumed its perilous journey across the busy street. The second car saw the duck and stopped to let him pass. When the duck reached the other lane, I thought to myself: will he make it? He had so far to go. I looked up the street to the east and no cars were coming. The duck waddled on across the busy street, looking straight ahead, hopped the curb to the sidewalk and went on its way having no idea how close he came to being thrown into the next life.
I haven’t been able to get that duck off of my mind. What he did was absolutely dumb and dangerous. But you say: he’s just a duck he doesn’t know any better. To which I say: does it matter? Dead is still dead whether you know what you’re doing or not.
Jaywalking laws, traffic lights, and signs are there to protect us. Ignore them and the consequences can be disastrous. Only the smiles of fortune saved that duck’s life.
And of course, you know I’m not really talking about ducks, right? Yes, the event really happened, but what’s been on my mind is not the foolishness of a mallard, but the foolishness of some of us.
How long can we recklessly or ignorantly flaunt the laws of God before it ends in disaster?
When the road of life and the straight and narrow path intersect, look both ways. And always turn to the right!
Story Code: IS24018
