Man in a Hole

Traffic was starting to slow. How irritating! I need to get to back to work after straightening out a bit of confusion on my power bill (don't get me started). Ah, I see ahead the reason for the slowdown. The inevitable construction, the narrowing of three lanes into one. Phooey.

I glance about for an alternate route, but there is nothing in the immediate vicinity. I will have to "ride it out." We creep along slowly at barely 2 mph, sometimes coming to a complete standstill. I glance at my watch. There is no help for it. I am going to be late. Fortunately, I do not have a meeting until 2pm, so I will merely have to stay a bit later at the end of the day.

OK, I relax. The radio is consoling me with a bit of Brahms. Might as well enjoy the scenery too. I find there is still plenty of yellow color in the autumn trees, and even though it is quite cold, the grass is green yet. I watch the driver in the car ahead of me fuddling with his mirror. The driver in the car behind me is chatting on a cell phone (shame!). I follow an arrow of geese flying overhead until they pass out of sight behind the buildings.

At last, I turn my head towards the red and yellow cones separating us from the construction paraphernalia, beeping county trucks, and jeans clad workmen just as we roll to a complete stop for the umpteenth time. I nearly burst out laughing. There in a manhole up to his neck stood (I assume he was standing) a workman complete with yellow hardhat sipping a cup of coffee.

I would be frightened to be eye level with car tires and mufflers, but he seemed non plussed - relaxed actually. I would have been ducking my head everytime a car or truck or workman passed me for fear I would lose my head. Brave man. Our eyes met, and for a brief moment we stared at each other - me from my lofty car seat perch, he from the depths of the bowels of the earth. He nodded and smiled. I waved back. And then I was moving again.

What an odd encounter! I've heard of being in the pits, but this is ridiculous.