I grew up with a black lab mixed breed dog named Sam. From my childhood up into my mid teens he was my constant companion. He slept on my bed at night. He was my best friend.

When I was about 14 I started a paper route. I would pedal my bike across town to get my papers, then come back by the house and get Sam. I had that paper route for 3 years. Every day Sam would do the route with me.

Customers got to know him, all the other dogs along the route got to know him. He was always there, running alongside my bike.

One day Sam was lagging behind. I was impatient. I had somewhere to go, a place I don't even remember now. I yelled at him. I cajoled him. Finally we made it home. I remember seeing Sam walking behind the barn as I jumped back on my bike to go who knows where.

That night Sam didn't come home. Dad and I took a flashlight and went looking for him. We found him behind the barn. Sam had walked back there and died.

I blamed myself for his death for a long time. Now I wish I had just been a little more patient that day. Such a good buddy for a kid growing up in a small town in Michigan.

Years later and I was working at the Castle Pines Golf Club on the Horticulture crew. There was a fellow there on the Grounds crew named Bill. Bill was a great guy, a little overweight, a little slow to get heavy labor finished, but a great guy. Occasionally we would stop off at Bud's for a beer together after work.

Although I liked Bill a lot, I can remember being a little irritated with him on the job. He was always a bit slow and was always stopping to catch his breath. I've always been one of those "let's get it done" kind of guys. Sometimes I felt I did 2/3 of the work when we were together.

One day tragedy struck. Bill collapsed on the job and died. Turns out he had a bad heart. That is why he was always stopping to catch his breath. I was stunned by his death and ashamed of my own impatience.

When I am on the road in my tree rig I am an obstacle for other drivers. It doesn't matter that I am normally going the speed limit, people are impatient. Nobody wants to be behind a big truck pulling a chipper. I get that.

Sometimes these other drivers create dangerous situations. I try to let it go but it gets to me. How can so many people be in such a rush? Why did they move to Douglas County if it creates such manic behavior on the road?

Then I remember my dog Sam, or my friend Bill, and how I acted with them. I am definitely capable of being just as impatient as all those drivers out there.

I try to let it go but it scares me. I don't want to die on I-25 because somebody needed to get to the Tech Center.

This is not a plea to slow down, because I think that's a waste of time. You'll drive like a madman or you won't. I see it every day. At least I drive a big truck, right? Hit me and hopefully I'll survive.

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Like I said, just more idle thoughts.