Spider

When I got on the highway this morning and opened her up to 70 I caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye. Some brown junk on the outside of the passenger side window. After a double take I see it was a spider. The most awesome spider in the the universe had built its web between the window and wing mirror and at 70 miles an hour it was holding its own. I was amazed at the strength of the web and at the tenacity of the spider to cling on at that speed on the outside of a car.

As soon as I knew what it was I slowed to 50. Which is as slow as you can go on the highway without being a jerk.

Hold on Mrs. Spider! We're almost there! Don't give up!

Yes. I was giving the spider a pep talk. All the way to work. Which although is only about ten miles it took me 30 minutes with traffic.

And that goddam spider clung on all the way there.

When I pulled into the parking lot it sort of unfurled itself from the tight, presumably wind proof ball configuration it had maintained for the duration of the journey. It was a beautiful little thing. Sort of tan and furry with white stripes.

I took it off the wing mirror and put it in some bushes next to the car in the parking lot. It was still in the same bush when I left this evening.

I can learn from this spider.

And I wonder what the spider thinks has happened. Does it know how far it has come? Do spiders measure things? Time? Distance? Or did it just registered some windiness, hang on, and then get on with life when it was over?

I really did cheer it on out loud in my car.

It was a brilliant start to the day.