Collide

This evening I had one of those rare moments where everything is timed just right to create an experience that's simple and beautiful.

Today was absolutely gorgeous with temps in the fifties and a clear blue sky. I had just tossed off a load of wood at the recycling center on base and the western sky was a pretty pink and yellow. I was waiting near the flight line to turn onto one of the two roads leading off the base and had just seen a Chinook, some sort of smaller helicopter, and a few other various aircraft common to our area. It was nearing five so traffic was at peak, everybody anxious to funnel through two lanes.

Just as a break in traffic opened up and I shifted into first, I heard the music over The Paperboys. Three times daily (morning, end of the work day, and evening), music is piped loudly through speakers mounted on high posts. The five o'clock song is always The Star Spangled Banner. The entire base comes to a standstill for the duration- vehicles pull over and people stand still either saluting or with hands over their hearts*.

I sat there with my window down enjoying the breeze and national anthem as the world was held in suspended animation. Almost directly overhead, my husband's plane flew low on its approach to landing, silhouetted by the pretty evening sky.

A short minute or two later, cars and trucks merged back onto the road to continue their slow crawl to the gates. I joined them and headed home too.

*I had the unfortunate experience last winter when it was really cold and windy out and my bladder was about to burst, but I had to stand shivering and crossing my legs until it was over and I could finish the run to the commissary. Not fun.