Making it home.

I was riding the elevator down with a fellow traveler when I looked down at his bag and saw the 'NTSB' tag on his luggage. I asked him if he was in town to investigate the limo accident outside Albany where I was staying last night. He said yes and I responded what a tragedy.

We go through life without a moment's thought. We get into cars, board trains and airplanes and rarely think 'what if'. What if something happens? What if I don't make it home? What if I never get a chance to..? What if...

I've thought of those 18 people a lot in the last 24 hours. Doing something responsible, hiring a driver so they would not drink and drive from a party far from home. I pray for them and their families for peace and comfort in this terrible time.

Tonight as I finished a long (and productive) day on my way between 2 of our emergency departments in New York State I was driving with a colleague as we pulled into a gas station. I remember what my 8 year old son said to me when I left home. Hey Dad can you catch some Pokemon when you are away. They have different ones in different parts of the country. So there I sat, at a rest stop in upstate New York, catching Pokemon.

And I thought about this when I faced timed him tonight. I'm sure I was interrupting his Fortnite adventure as we spoke about the Pokemon I caught. I hung up the phone and smiled. If nothing else he will remember I was trying to catch him some Pokemon. Not a terrible memory in my mind.

May we all make it home safely, from where ever you are traveling.