You just never know.

I’ve worked in IT for over 10 years now and the thing I’ve probably been told more than any other by my supervisors is “Make sure you do X, in case you get hit by a bus.” This whole time I’ve been afraid of buses and I should have been afraid of collapsing bridges.

Here’s the scene tonight. It’s 5:45, I just wrapped up dinner with my wife, cleaned up the kitchen a little bit and was about to leave for the Twins game. Instead, I decided to help my wife finish the dishes. I ended up leaving at 6:00 instead. At 6:15 I hear that the Interstate 35W bridge over the Mississippi had collapsed at 6:05 which is the last bridge I cross before exiting for the Metrodome. I don’t know that the timing was exactly when I would have been there had I decided to leave earlier, but it’s close enough to hit home. Thankfully for me, I ended up watching it play out from a safe distance. Others weren’t so lucky and my thoughts and prayers go out to their families during this difficult time.