When I was 14 I was walking home from a friends house when I heard a sound like I had never heard before in my life. At first I did know what it could be and I was not one to scare easily but a shot of terror went through my body and for an instant I froze and then started to turn and go the other way when I heard it again, louder and then I understood it was a human cry.

Just as I was turning, the door of the house before me flew open and a woman came running out with a naked baby dangling from her hands (and if you don't think the tears are welling up as I type this, think again). She ran toward me screaming "HELP ME! HELP MY BABY!" and holding the lifeless child out to me. God! I was just a dumb kid and had no idea of what to do. "I'll call an ambulance" I told her and by that time other folks were running up and some adults took charge of the situation. It was, of course, too late.

My folks knew this woman and that really made it hit home. She had been giving her 1 1/2 year old a bath when the phone rang. There were only a couple of inches in the baby tub and she was just gone "a few seconds", you know, answer the phone and bring it back to where the baby was and chat with her friend. Only land lines then, of course. But that was all it took. That's one of those things you never forget for your entire life. Shortly there after I learned what passed for CPR in it's day. I was never going to be that dumb kid again.

Just a few seconds.