The car struck Mike’s motorcycle from behind. Mike awoke attached to the undercarriage of the car traveling at freeway speed. As he contemplated his next move, he heard a clear voice.

“Do you want to live?” the voice said.

“Yes,” Mike thought.

“Turn your head,” the voice said.

Mike turned his head and immediately “popped out” from under the vehicle as it continued down the road. It never stopped. 

The crash was decades ago. The healing was long and difficult. For me, the lesson seemed to be about listening and responding. But, when I asked Mike, now a grandfather, he said it changed his view of life and his priorities. 

“Don’t sweat the small stuff,” Mike told me. “Just be grateful.”