Two Miracles

A few weeks ago, I purchased a mirror to use when bike-riding, and it has proven to be a small miracle. Attached to my helmet and easily rotated for the best view, it has enabled me to get a relatively clear view of the road behind me. As I’m cruising along, all it takes is a slight tilt or turn of my head to know if a car is approaching from the rear. I find it astonishing that such a small device (see picture) can be such a significant aid on the road. For $15.00, I have purchased important protection and reassurance for myself. I now journey along our roads with a comforting faith in my ability to have crash-free rides.

Another miracle I’ve been pondering recently is the shower in my apartment. It’s nothing extraordinary – just your ordinary low-cost shower-head – but I find it quite astonishing, nonetheless. It has a small lever that I can push to make the water temporarily flow more gently (easier on my bald head), and when I push the lever back to its original position, the water once again surges forth. I can also rotate the shower-head so it sprays left, right, backward, or forward. Amazing! I guess I feel this sense of wonder because I often think of the 80% of the world’s population who don’t even have the luxury of running water, let alone a shower that twists and turns and flows softly or strongly. Each time I take a shower I feel like a king in my two-bedroom castle on Granite Street.

-- July 31, 2007