Just as a police siren
seems to change pitch
when the car
approaches
and then flies by,
when you are moving forward
opportunities,
ideas,
expectations,
get compressed.
Everything seems
imminent,
urgent,
and
important,
calling for attention
with a shrill voice.
When you look back,
those same
opportunities
seem to have some
space between them,
but you have passed them by.
It’s only in the moment,
in the present,
when everything
is truly what it is --
just as the siren
only sounds like itself
when you are even with the police car --
where you can
evaluate,
decide,
and act
without fear,
without regret.
Next time you hear a siren,
remember the doppler effect,
and be present to your own life.