Pace Yourself

A woman was cruising down the street in her Ford Escort going exactly the speed limit and holding the steering wheel at ten and two. Up ahead, a man on a perpendicular sidewalk was strolling towards the curb with a back pack on his back. As he approached, a sudden lack of cars allowed him to stroll seamlessly into the street on which the woman was driving. He looked and saw her car but didn't turn back. She had already seen the man but didn't slow down. His pace was set and he kept it despite the danger of being hit. Her cruise was set and she kept it set despite the danger of hitting a man. They grew closer, he strolling, she cruising. Time slowed. His eyes watched at the corner, her eyes stared straight ahead. He was using her for a quick thrill -- a reminder of death. She was using him for the same thing. Their hearts quickened together but their pace stayed the same. The woman reached for her coffee cup and just as the man crossed her lane she took a drink -- cruised by.