Fog

“There”, said hedgehog, “I can see nothing, not even my paws”
S. Kozlov: “Hedgehog in Fog”

Photo by Asmactic

Driving late in the evening along the Hudson River, from time to time, I find myself in dense (at times simply engulfing) fog. The headlights of my car hit the wall of the suspended droplets of water and return to me with proverbial reply, “your needs are very important to us… Please proceed with the speed, at which you are capable of feeling whether you are still on the road.” The fog penetrates my consciousness and sub-consciousness. Suddenly, I can see the blinding light in my left side mirror. That is my savior. The dude passes me with confidence. My first instinct is to speed up after him. After all, if he goes through the fog with such poise, he must see something. Maybe his eyes see better, maybe his headlights are stronger. I rely on the vision of the genius of speed and rush after him. But being an over-cautious person with inborn skepticism, I start to doubt. What if he is wrong? Then, if I tailgate him (one cannot afford too much distance from the leader, in the fog), I will get exactly where he leads without a chance to hit the breaks.
So, I prefer to rely only on myself.

How many such visionaries there were? I’ve lost count. Everybody lead somewhere. Everybody promised heaven, some promised heaven on earth and prosperity. And often, regardless of the level of our intelligence, we believe in the new prophet. But in the fog, you must follow the leader very close. And you have to decide now.

But I hesitate…
I am not sure…
Maybe his headlights are not that strong.
Maybe his eyes are no better than mine.
And maybe he is drunk and simply does not see the fog.