Tuesday, October 28, 2014

THE FOG FRIEND





In a recent post about friendship I described a categorical list of friends: the best friend forever, the spiritual friend, the friend that makes you laugh, and more.  Driving from Crossville TN to Paducah 3 days ago I discovered a new and vital friend…the Fog Friend

At 5:30 in the morning I stepped out of the hotel in Crossville into an incredibly dense fog.  Slowly and cautiously I crawled onto the Interstate just a few blocks away, unable to see anything beyond 30-40 feet.  Even though I am a Tiger, I must admit it was a little frightening as I crawled along I-40 west, grateful for the occasional respite from the fog when I could see perhaps 100 feet ahead of me.  About 30 minutes into the drive my new friend appeared, an 18-wheeler that was traveling at a speed consistent with the conditions.  I quickly fell in behind him and proceeded to be his puppy for the next 2 hours.  On several occasions another car would get between us, much to my dismay, but their relationship with the fog friend lacked the commitment of my own. As we approached the Briley Parkway in Nashville I was prepared to say goodbye, but to my delight my friend proceeded onto the parkway, and I followed him until the approach to I-24 where I lost him in another cloud of dense fog.  But from Crossville to Nashville, the driver of that 18-wheeler was my best fog friend forever.

I made it on my own from Nashville to the KY line, where the fog finally dissipated and I enjoyed a peaceful drive through Kentucky farmland bejeweled with autumn colors.

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