Saturday, October 20, 2012

not a photograph post

Every Friday morning when I am in town, I have breakfast with Ed the Artist -- and another friend when he is here.

We usually talk about needs at the Indian school for the migrant worker children.  But there are no borders on conversation.  We push each others' buttons now and then.  But that is one of the liberties of friendship.

Last week, I was running a bit late for one reason or another.  But I was not rushing.  What's the point?  This is Mexico.

The main highway crosses the laguna just before passing through my destination village.  I could see a motorcycle in front of me.  Maybe about 10 car lengths.

Ed rides a motorcycle.  Thinking it might be him, I slowed down a bit.  We could arrive at about the same time.

The next thing I saw was the motorcycle cartwheeling forward.  Making at least three or four revolutions.  Of course, I was now really worried that it might be Ed.

I have seen many a motorcycle go down on the road and on the race track.  They usually slide.

Not this one.  And I instinctively knew that a rider exposed to the road on a cartwheeling motorcycle would not be a good thing.

And it wasn't. 

I was the first to pull up.  Within seconds there were two other men on the scene helping.  The first task was to get the motorcycle off of the rider.  It was not Ed.

I grabbed my telephone to call for an ambulance while retrieving my first aid kit from my truck.

But in the time it took me to return, someone else had completed the call.  And whatever was wrong with the rider, my first aid kit was not going to help.  He could not move.

What did help was the arrival of the fire emergency crew.  And then an ambulance.

While they tended to the rider, we started clearing the street of various motorcycle parts.  And one big dead dog.  A second dog had limped off into the laguna, probably to be a crocodile meal, just as we arrived.

I can only surmise that the motorcyclist hit one or both dogs and panic braked on his front wheel.  Whatever happened, his motorcycle performed actions for which it was not designed.

When I finished breakfast, I returned to the duplex and told Dora, the maid, what had happened.

Yesterday morning she told me the rest of the story.  The motorcyclist had died.

Of what, I don't know.  Like most riders around here, he wore no helmet.  But I am not certain that would have mattered with the forward rolls he took with his bike.

We will all have our own lessons to draw from this tragedy. 

Mine is: life is fragile.  If we remain aware of that fact, we might treat others in our lives with a bit more respect and love.  I know I need to work on that.



Note -- There is no photograph with this post because I took no photographs at the scene.  If I had, I trust you would have lost any respect you might have for me.  Even though that type of photograph is daily grist in some Mexican newspapers.  But not this blog.

24 comments:

Babsofsanmiguel said...

Glad you stopped and rendered aid.  So sad that the man died.  It is so true, life can change or end in an instant.  I think of that every day.......

tancho said...

Sad that you had to see the incedent occur, not a pleasant sight. We should appreciate life, each day for tomorrow you never know what may happen. Have a pleasant weekend.

Joanna said...

Oh Steve... I've said a "Hail Mary"... for the rider, for you  and for everyone involved. Life is fragile and fractured. I too have been on the scene of accidents and I always feel that "Someone" felt I needed to be there. To learn to be more careful? To learn to be more grateful? Less judgmental? Whatever it is I am left humbled and the phrase: "There but for the grace of God go I," repeats and repeats in my mind. As it is doing ever since I read your post.

Steve Cotton said...

It made me think how much I take for granted.

Steve Cotton said...

And a pleasant weekend to you, as well.

Steve Cotton said...

It is also a reminder for us to get out there and live life.  And to be a blessing to those we meet each day.

Marc Olson said...

I was reminded by a incident here very recently of how one little event can change life forever. 

A dog crosses the road, and...

A sad story, but a timely reminder to be grateful for each and every day. And to be careful (and wear a helmet).
Thanks for sharing this, Steve.

Gary Denness said...

The last paragraph. I would have lost no respect for you. Because I have every trust in you that any photo you might have taken would have been done with consideration, thought and taste. And most of all with purpose.

But it is a touchy subject. It's a good thing to be reminded what life is all about, and that includes death. Words can describe an incident. But a photo screams the consequences. Hence some of the very graphic use of images in safety and anti tobacco campaigns. 

All this is not to say the gratuitous gore shots that you see on the front page of Mexican papers have any place in our society. Those are not the sort of snaps you want to see.

Nor do you want to see a body surrounded by gawpers with cell phones, snapping away at the tragedy for entertainment/gossip purposes. A common occurrence in DF, that I've witnessed a multitude of times.  And if you have to make a choice between administering aid and getting a photo,...that's an easy decision, no? Actually, it's not always so easy. You've probably come across articles written by war photographers and the decisions they've made.

Truth be told though, for all I've just written in justifying the occasional use of shock imagery, In The Key Of Steve has a certain theme/atmosphere and is probably better off without photos of traffic accidents.

Steve Cotton said...

Thanks, Gary.  I have always enjoyed our discussion of the place of cameras in our society.  They document both the good and bad in life.  This is one of the circumstances where I decided the tale was better limited to prose.

Andean said...

The type of feelings one has with such tragedies are hard to put into words. Everytime I hear of such incidents I think of a good, young friend of mine that didn't make it due to a motorcycle accident. He was wearing a helmut. Very sad story.

They are reminders of how fragile life ican be, to hold our friends and families tight within our hearts, and appreciate our lives each and  everyday. 

Steve Cotton said...

Most tales involving tragedy usually start with the most prosaic of circumstances.  Fitzgerald's description of Daisy's accident in Paris in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a perfect example.

Steve Cotton said...

I felt the same way about the people who died in the 11 September attack on the twin towers.  People routinely left home that morning with no knowledge that they would not be returning.  Leaving a lot of unwoven tapestries. 

Nita said...

Bless You!

Penny said...

That is so sad and has brought a lump to my throat.  I hope the image will not be imprinted on your mind for too long.  God bless you and the poor rider and his family.

Leslie Limon said...

God bless you and the others who stopped to aid the motorcyclist.  I am sure his family appreciates all that was done in an attempt to save him.  I know we still remember and thank those who helped to call the ambulance when my mother-in-law passed away.  

As you say in one of the comments here, this is just another reminder to all of us that life is very short.  We must get out there and live it to the fullest.  

Lludwick2568 said...

I am sure getting that image out of the mind will be easier said than done.  Seeing the ending of a human life, makes a lot of other things seem rather insignificant.  I am reminded of .Deuteronomy 30:19.  I choose life because it is precious!

Steve Cotton said...

It is too bad it takes incidents like this to remind us of what should be obvious daily.

Steve Cotton said...

I am certain I did nothing more than anyone else would do -- and that others did.

Steve Cotton said...

What I will remember more than the accident is the way that people came together to help a stranger.

Steve Cotton said...

It is also a reminder that in living our own lives to the fullest, we constantly need to be mindful of others who make need a hand on the path.

Laurie Matherne said...

Motorbike and bicycle accidents are very common in Honduras, too. I need to take the loss of lives I see so often more seriously. Thanks for the reminder that life is precious.

Steve Cotton said...

The work you do in Honduras shows how precious youf ind life.

Shannon Casey said...

Steve, so sorry you had to experience such a traumatic event. Also sorry the poor man died.
I remind myself every day since my accident how lucky I am to be alive and a story like that really brings it home. It can all be taken away in the blink of an eye.

Steve Cotton said...

Your experience was much worse than mine, but I felt the same way when I broke my right ankle.  One moment my foot was perfect.  The next it was sticking at a right angle to my leg.