The art is long, life is short”—Hippocrates
I had a nice long day of business in Salt Lake City and was driving home to Park City on a Wednesday night. We do our weekly company meeting on Wednesdays so it is always a busy day for me. The drive is about forty minutes long and it was around midnight when I saw the “Welcome to Park City” sign. No matter how long my day is or how long the drive, that always makes me happy. It reminds me that I am home and how much I love Park City.
This particular night I was a little tired and was invited to stay down in Salt Lake by my friend and business partner Mandy. I had told her no I had things to do in the morning. I almost greatly regretted turning down her hospitality. Here I was jamming out to some music doing about 40mph when out of nowhere this huge black beast jumped from the right side of the road out in front of me. It was as if T-Rex from Jurassic Park was looking to eat me. I thought it was game over!
It is incredible how fast your body can react to a situation. The human body is incredible and the shot of adrenaline helped kick in all my senses. I swerved violently to the left and hit the brakes. The beast hit the side of my SUV knocking in my mirror with its broad chest and bumping the side of my car. It all happened so fast that by the time I pulled over and looked back the beast was gone. It had just been a huge moose trying to cross the road.
Moose are the largest of the deer species weighing about 1,800 pounds and the height at their shoulder is 5ft to 6.5ft tall. They are a big, solid animal. I had never seen them down off the mountain before.
After my heart stopped trying to jump out of my chest and I saw that I had actually avoided any damage to my truck I began to feel much better. I was grateful for my quick reflexes and the stroke of luck that no one else was on the road allowing me to swerve. I then began to reflect on the close call.
I grew up in Western Pennsylvania. Swerving to miss whitetail deer is a skill you learn early as a driver. Those things can do some damage, I can’t even imagine what a moose could accomplish. What would have happened had I been not paying attention or had been one second later? The moose was so big I feel like I would have taken its legs out and got the full 1,800 pounds of animal right in my face. Someone was definitely looking out for me.
What we as humans go through and survive each and every day, it is just amazing. The purpose of this story is, that life is short and it is all risky. Getting up in the morning is risky, driving is risky, and going after your dreams is risky. It is all risky. Everyday someone perishes with all their dreams and goals left undone.
“The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry out their dream.” —Les Brown
To re-quote Hippocrates, “The art is long, life is short”. Get out there and create your art. Go create something meaningful. Do something every day that makes you happy. Start to build something you can be proud of. Take on new challenges. Give your gifts to the world. It is more dangerous not to. Tomorrow is not guaranteed; a moose could jump out of nowhere and take you out!
I feel like I am still here because there is more to accomplish. I choose to make the most of my short time and chase my dreams. I hope you do the same.
Thank you Moose!
Chris Lengle Productions 