Physical Memory Traversed at 70mph

As I drive my nearly 90-mile round trip commute, primarily up and down Highway 101, I often find myself daydreaming, barely aware of what I am passing by. The road is a blur.

With exploring my personal connection to Loss, I started thinking about all the other people who drive this highway and the odds that at any time you might not make it to your destination.

I started to think about the fatalities that happen and how the affected families might mark the loss of their loved one. What marks are left on the highway to signify the loss? I have become aware of the lack of anything noting that something happened here, something worth remembering.

Rarely, a cross or wreath is placed roadside, but most often the only thing to note a fatal accident is a bit of glass, a black mark on the median barrier or skid mark, or most often, nothing at all. With the variety of speeds during a rush hour commute, the ability to note any of these things is difficult even if you know where to look.

I often wonder if the other drivers, passing these spots on a daily basis, think about those lost or the loss of physical memory in this tunnel of space traversed at 70 mph.