If you recall the Merv Griffin episode, George runs over a flock of pigeons. "Don't we have a deal with the pigeons?" George asks. And Jerry replies: "Of course we have a deal. They get out of the way of our cars, we look the other way on the statue defecation." Later, George runs over a squirrel. But it survives and his girlfriend at the time forces George to take the squirrel to the vet – who would have to send away for tiny surgical instruments to help it. So he had to take it home and nurse it back to health.
I was under the impression we had a deal with squirrels, too. They run out in the road with their pea-sized brain and we keep driving because they somehow always manage to dodge all the tires.
I guess not always.
This morning I was late for church because I stopped to let a brood of turkeys cross the road. OK, I was running late anyway but I took the time to demonstrate substantial kindness toward them (and my car).
I had just hit the gas when a squirrel ran out on the road and suddenly stopped. He did one of those crouching "don't hit me" poses. And. Well. I hit him. It wasn't even sitting in my tire line so maybe something from my undercarriage? I don't know. I just heard a thunk and, looking in the rearview mirror, I saw him laying there. His tail blowing in the wind.
Why didn't he keep running like every other stupid squirrel? I felt bad. For real. But I had to get to church, you know! When I was driving home later, I saw this...
OMG! He died so dramatically! It's like he was raising his arms and crying, "Save me, Jesus!" How awful. It looks like a cartoon character from of those Disney movies.
But he still hasn't moved. So definitely dead. Definitely not a cartoon. But at least no one has run over him again and, you know, flattened him.
Is it still the circle of life if I end a life? I mean I did save those 9 or 10 turkeys. And I cleaned up cat puke without hurting her – or breaking a toe. That's balance, right?
We had a deal!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment