Everyone Needs a Rudolph

Maybe it's a bit late for a Christmas-y type theme, but it's my blog and I'll do as I damn well please!

Anyway.

Last night I found myself traveling towards BWI in some of the densest fog I've ever had the pleasure of driving through at one in the morning. Dory(remember Dory? My frenemy? At least I'm pretty sure Dory was the fake name I gave for her...) was flying home from her Christmas trip home. And because the world is not a huge fan of me being well-rested, her flight was delayed and an 11pm pick up turned into a 2:28am one. And I'm sure that I could've said no, that it was too late at night, that she gets paid crazy good money and she can go get her own cab. But I had a Horton moment. You know, "I meant what I said and I said what I meant" sort of thing.

I was alone on the road, and stayed that way as I crossed over the Bay Bridge. The only thing I had to guide me was the next row of green arrows, barely cutting through the fog. As I came over the crest of the bridge, the moment where I can usually see the rolling hills of the Western Shore in all their soft glory, I was instead met with a wall of solid gray.

Until... blink.

Just the tiniest flash of light, barely visible. But blink it came again, a steady rhythm cutting through the darkness in gentle, strobing slice.

It was a light on the top of the bridge, warning aircraft and ships alike that there was indeed a quite large bridge there. It reminded me of Rudolph cutting through the night to save Christmas, of Santa finding a guiding light just when he'd lost all hope.

What would life be like, I thought, without lights that could cut through the swallowing darkness? What would we do if we always had to tiptoe along without knowing that there was anything out there to guide the way?

Everybody needs a light that cuts through the darkness. We need to know that something or someone is there to poke holes in the fog, to keep us from feeling hopeless and consumed. Whether it's a person, or an idea, or anything in between, everyone needs a Rudolph.