Dear Elderly Pedestrian

Dear Elderly Pedestrian,

Thank you, for diving out of my way.

I know I am supposed to yield to you.

I wanted to yield.

I am not a bad, malicious or even negligent person.

I inconvenience myself to do the right thing all the time. To a fault, sometimes.

But I saw that oncoming car. I saw it obliviously hogging the road, close to the yellow line.

I heard the car coming up behind me.

I saw you in front of me, walking in the center of the breakdown lane.

I didn’t know how close that car behind me was.

I didn’t know if they could see you, the pedestrian. If they’d connect in time that your presence meant I needed to veer further into the street.

That they’d have to make more room.

It all happened so fast.

I was afraid if I looked over my shoulder to see how much room the car was giving me, I’d collide with you before I looked back.

I wasn’t even sure I had time to crash off to the side. I thought if I veered across the breakdown lane aiming for the side, I might hit you.

I would gladly have taken a fall to avoid you, I promise.

But in that split-second of panic, you looked up. You saw me. You saw the car behind me. You rushed off the pavement into the dirt, and I went safely coasting by, palms sweaty, heart thumping.

You prevented me from having to decide between veering into traffic or attempting to get off the road to the side without hitting you.

Thank you.

You might have saved my life.

I know it’s my job to avoid you, and the car’s job to avoid me.

But it’s hard to trust a car you cannot even see, a car that you know doesn’t have room in the other lane, a car that might expect you to be riding straight.

When I see an oncoming pedestrian I’ll move into traffic sooner, now.

I feel guilty that you had to move, but I am so, so grateful.

There were four of us, two cars, a cyclist, and you, all using the same cross-section of road at the exact same moment.

And you were the one who made it safe. You made the road wider for all of us.

I yelled my thanks as I passed you, and I wish I had reacted soon enough to stop. To turn around. To go back on foot and thank you. To tell you that I’m a new cyclist, and I would have crashed in a heartbeat rather than collide with you but it all happened so fast.

I hope you don’t think I was rude.

I hope you know I was terrified, that I had nowhere to go.

Thank you.

Thank you for moving.

You’re a lifesaver.

-Kelly