running on empty.
barrelling down interstate eighty-one, broken-down hazard lights flashed my eyes for a split second. i saw a man, a woman, and two children. the man was obviously angered, the woman obviously upset. and the two children, well, they were asleep. the man was yelling, and the woman was yelling back. they had been driving for hours longer than i, and were a hell of a lot more road weary. they were meeting with a lawyer to discuss plans for a divorce in a few weeks. they had purposely set the date later to see if they could maybe work things out; get through this; and see if it would just work itself out. they thought that maybe a divorce wouldn't be needed. they did love each other after all. but as i noticed in those three passing seconds as i raced past their car, they weren't going to make it to that particular date.