150 words about 25 miles and 24 frames

I changed my route, but not because of the weather, or the elevation, or the wind. It was because yesterday a truck plowed into Demetrious, his wife, and their friend. The friend died instantly.

Jason Isbell sings about “24 frames” — the images that flicker by in one second of film — and how quickly everything can change. Three weeks ago Demetrious and I chatted during a century; today his wife’s in the hospital and his friend is dead.

So my route today prioritized roads with low speed limits and little traffic. I had blinking lights front and back. But how much more careful do we have to be to avoid criminally inattentive drivers and — in the cold language of risk — a low probability/high impact event?

I don’t know the answer, but here’s the question: When does the pursuit of peace on a bike become a selfish indulgence at my family’s expense?