Dana Lone Hill
Recognition of Stillness
By Dana Lone Hill
Lakota Country Times Columnist
www.lakotacountrytimes.com A friend from Chicago was telling me about how he watched a coyote carrying her pup across the freeway and thought she was safe when she was only in between the two freeways so she kept going. A car hit her and it caused a pile up. He said “Something must be wrong with me, I was more worried about her than the human aspect, but humans are in such a hurry.” He then went on to tell me how fast people drive there. People drive too fast everywhere, they don’t appreciate their surroundings, the drive, the world going by. They want to get from point A to point B to point C without recognizing the way. There is a belief about the relevance of time, the more you are in a hurry, the faster time goes by. It makes sense when you think of how in a hurry you are to be a grown up and get away from your parents, (which by the way, you really never do.) Time takes forever to become an adult and have the ability to make your own decisions. When you get there you realize that comes with responsibilities, namely, bills. So thus, the rat race from point A to point C to hustle around, break speed limits, pay bills, have children, buy diapers, feed a family. Next thing you know you are middle age, sitting somewhere with faint gray in your hair, staring at the way the sun shines off a single blade of grass as it blows in a gentle wind. And you are wondering how you never saw something like that before, you never recognized the beauty of sunshine, grass, wind, the world. No recognition of stillness. No appreciation for life, because the mistake was the American dream, driving a nice car, making sure your kids had what they didn’t need, keeping up with the Jones, and all that. When I recently moved back to Minnesota, my brother had told me of three sisters who were bridesmaids in their brother’s wedding. They were on their way to the bridal shower and were running late. So in January in Minnesota, they made the choice to speed and pass a car less than a mile from their destination. They were hit by an oncoming car and all three died. No matter how late they were, they would have still made it. People are always in a hurry. I have been in two car accidents in my life, I was never the driver and alcohol was never the factor. It was ice. Both my friends at the time had underestimated the ice on the road and their ability to control the car they were driving on ice. Both were in a hurry and sped up when I told them there was no hurry. I remember spinning on the ice and the accidents being over in a blink of an eye. Both times, snow blessed me with a longer life because it stopped me from rolling one time and going over an embankment another time. Anyone who has ever been in a car accident can tell you that as fast as the accident happens, in the car time stands still almost. A thousand thoughts go through your head. Who will take care of my kids? I’m not wearing my seat belt. God, please forgive me for all the bad things I have done? I am so happy my youngest didn’t ride with us. Who will take care of my kids? I don’t have my seatbelt on! I told her to slow down. Who will take care of my kids? God please help me. I’m not wearing a seat belt. I should have stayed home. Thank God Stephon wasn’t with me, his dad wanted me to take him. God save me. I still have dreams.
Visit the Lakota Country Times and subscribe today
I remember seeing the snowy landscape fly by and other cars moving out of our way as we spun, I remember seeing my kids faces, and I remember grabbing my friends’ hands as if forgiving them for speeding. It was as if in the middle of spinning on an icy road, in the quick minute it took, I had a recognition of stillness, and I have heard others I talked to about being in car accidents describe the same moment. Don’t ask me how it happened to me twice. I know I can’t drive on ice. If you know me, you know I don’t like driving. We live in a world that spins 25,000 miles in 24 hours, that is 1,042 miles an hour, through space and we hardly ever take time to recognize the stillness by watching the stars, the moonrise, the sunset. I wrote this just to tell you that our time is precious. Appreciate every minute, it goes by in a flash so there is no need to rush. Love life and every person you have in it. Only you can guarantee that you will appreciate your time here because your time is not guaranteed. Take time out to recognize the stillness and beauty and drive safe, always. (Dana Lone Hill is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and is the author of a book about life on the reservation called Pointing with Lips.) Find the award-winning Lakota Country Times on the Internet, Facebook and Twitter and download the new Lakota Country Times app today.
Join the Conversation
